The Modern Hero
by megzarie
Summary: As the Summoner and tactician, Kiran is not exactly the most confident person. Kiran may not be the Hero that they've expected to find, but she is the one they need.
1. The Library

"I really don't understand why Alfonse and the others put so much faith in my tactics… All I really can do is summon Heroes with this… gun," I thought to myself.

I was sitting in the Askran castle library planning for the next battle against Embla. I really couldn't make heads or tails of this at all. I wasn't a military genius, just a college freshman.

"Perhaps I could pay one of the Robins a visit. They know how to plan a battle better than I can. It can't hurt to ask for advice from someone more experienced than I am…" I muttered to myself.

I closed the copy of "Basic Battle Strategies And Tactics For Dummies" that I was reading and placed it back on it's spot on the shelf. I thought that maybe it was time to take a break from studying and summon some Heros in the summoning chamber. I turned around to leave the library and that was when I saw Ephraim enter the room.

Ephraim was one of the heroes I had summoned a few months ago. Ephraim had become a huge asset to the team I placed him in. It was impressive, really.

"Hello, Kiran. Looks like Lissa was right," Ephraim greeted me.

"What do you mean?"

"She said I should check the library if I wanted to find you"

I chuckled a little. "I suppose Lissa wants candy for telling you where to find me huh?"

Ephraim raised an eyebrow at me "I supposed she did mention something like that but I never paid too much thought to it"

I opened a book bag and pulled out a large bag of jelly beans. "Here, next time you see her, give her these. At this rate if I have to keep giving her my candy, it'll be gone before I get to enjoy it. Hell, I would have to steal some of Gaius's candy."

Ephraim chuckled "Stealing from Gaius's personal sweets stash is not very wise. Why do you have so much candy anyway?"

I lightly blushed in embarrassment "I have a weakness for sweets ok? I already know where Gaius hides his candy too. It would be a perfect opportunity to test out my tactician skills. I still have much to learn about the battlefield."

"You could ask Gaius to make some candy for you instead. You shouldn't fight battles you can not win" Ephraim lectured.

"Stop being such a sour puss Ephraim! You're starting to sound like my older brother" I pouted.

"You do remind me of Eirika, Kiran. I can't help it." Ephraim chuckled.

"Well siblings aside, I think we should move on to the summoning chamber. Im hoping to recruit some more powerful heroes to help us. The current summoning forecast is telling me that we have a chance of summoning some heroes from the World of Shadows. Hopefully we'll summon Alm or maybe Celica"

"I suppose I should go. If something were to happen to you if you were out by yourself, I'm sure Alfonse and Sharena would become depressed. The Emblian forces are likely to try to target the area again and if I'm there, at least you have some protection."

"Oh… I guess I never thought of it like that… Crap! What kind of tactician forgets something like that! Of course that place is a major target! Hell! I'm a major target! I'm such a big part of the Order and yet I'm defenseless! I'm an idiot!" I began to panic

"That's not true, Kiran. You are among the brightest of us. You are far from an idiot. More importantly, you are a person who makes mistakes just like everyone else. No one is going to hold it against you." Ephraim said.

"I agree with Ephraim. You underestimate yourself too much Kiran." A familiar voice said.

"Alfonse!" I uttered out in shock.

"Sorry to drop in like this, Kiran. I came here to check up on you. Lissa said you'd be here."

"Geez, since when did she become the authority on my location? I bet she's doing this for more of my candy!" I pouted

"Hehehe… you both do love your sweets. But Kiran if you need help don't be afraid to ask. You've been skipping meals and sleep so I wanted to make sure you were ok," Alfonse looked concerned.

"I have n-no idea what you are talking about… I had five cups of coffee earlier this morning… I c-can pull an all nighter if it means that all the worlds stay s-safe!" I say as my eyes begin to twitch from the excessive amounts of caffeine in my body running its course.

Alfonse just stared at me in shock. "This is unacceptable, Kiran. You shouldn't risk your health like this! It's dangerous!"

"Whatever, if you say so 'Dad'. I'm gonna… grab a mocha frap light whip with chocolate sprinkles and then I'm gonna summon some heros while contemplating the meaning of life or something…" I mumbled as I shakily grabbed Breidablik and walked out of the castle library.

* * *

Alfonse's brows furrowed a bit. Partly due to concern for his tactician but also because he was confused about what Kiran had said earlier. He followed her to the summoning chamber. Ephraim soon followed suit and headed to the chamber.

Upon arrival, Kiran produced a few orbs from her robe pockets and begun the summoning rite. The two princes watched her summon Catria, Henry, Sheena and Jakob before moving on to using her fifth and final orb. With a flash, Celica had appeared in the summoning chamber. With that Kiran's body finally buckled from it's sleep deprived induced stress. Kiran blacks out and falls to the ground.

The newly summoned heroes looked at the scene with a mix of horror and concern for the summoner… though with Henry it was hard to tell since he smiled all the time. Alfonse looked at Kiran's body frustrated that he couldnt convince her to get some sleep earlier. He clears his throat.

"My apologies… Kiran has a tendency to overwork herself unnecessarily. I will see to it that she is taken care of" Alfonse said after clearing his throat.

* * *

I woke up in an unfamiliar room that was not my own. It was too grand to be my quarters in the order of heroes castle. That's when I remembered… I passed out in front of a bunch of people.

"Kiran! Thank goodness you're awake!" Alfonse cheered.

"Ugh… Alfonse… where am I?" I muttered.

"We're in my room, Kiran. I had one of the heroes help carry you here so I could keep an eye on you." Alfonse said with a straight face.

"Then why not do that at the infirmary? Aren't you worried how people will see this? Carrying an unconscious girl to your room seems like a dangerous faux pas for a prince to commit"

"Oh… right. But you know I wouldn't take advantage of you right?"

"O-of course not! I didn't mean to make it sound like I thought you would… It's just that I worry about the message this would send to people."

"Yeah… I didn't think that part through. It's a consequence I'm willing to take for a friend. I cannot lose another friend and especially not when they are as brilliant as you"

"I'm sorry I made you worry… I… just got so worked up about the war and before I knew it I was five cups of coffee in while studying battle strategies. I… no… it's not just that. I haven't been honest with you."

"What do you mean Kiran?"

"D-do you really think I'm a good tactician?"

"Of course, Kiran. I really wouldn't know what we'd do without you. But why?"

"Well, lately I have been feeling like… I'm not good enough as a tactician. So much depends on my ability to make the right calls. I'm not some military genius or a capable fighter, why did Breidablik call me? I'm not some war hero like my older brother! I'm just some kid in college."

"You sell yourself too short Kiran. You are more than I could hope for in a tactician and a summoner"

Alfonse hugged me. I was a little shocked and embarrassed but I hugged back. The hug felt warm gentle and warm… and he smelled nice. Yeah I know it is a little weird to take notice of, but I never been this close to him before so I never noticed before. I blushed a little.

"Are you alright? Your face is turning red."

"I'm fine…" I mumbled

"It's almost dinner time Kiran. Would you come with me?"

"Yeah. I'm sure the others are concerned about their tactician. I'll go with you."

I then quietly followed Alfonse to the dining hall. I felt more at peace than I have ever had before.

**A/N:Hey there guys it's me, Megzarie. So normally I don't like putting down Authors Notes often but I feel like I have a bit of explaining to do in regards to the first two chapters in this fic. So backstory: basically I started to write this fic around the time the first SoV banners but I didn't finish chapter one until much later due to me being the master of procrastination. And by much later, I mean One year later. So due to that and then me being dummy where I decided to write chapter 2 when it was only three quarters of the way finished, there is some time skip shenanigans happening because I started writing chapter 2 during book 2 and I didn't finish writing that until recently. So Chapter one happens during book 1, chapter 2 happens in book 2 and the rest will probably be book three. I may come in to patch in the time gaps later and the reorder the chapters or write in some flashback chapters every now and then to make it less weird? Idk how I am going to fix that but for now that is what's going to go down. Sorry for the weirdness i guess**


	2. Kiran Is A Bun-Bun

I pulled down my hood for the first time since my arrival in Askr. My long hair fell out of place revealing brunette hair with blonde tips. I was in my quarters contemplating wearing an outfit for the spring festival but I wasn't sure if I was comfortable wearing a revealing bunny outfit. I wasn't even sure why I was even considering wearing a costume.

"Perhaps if I wear a short white dress and bunny ears then maybe… no this is ridiculous."

Then I heard a knock on my door. I quickly put my hood up and tuck my hair inside of it. Nobody here would recognize me if I didn't have my signature coat and hood on. I answered the door.

"Hey Kiran!" It was Sharena dressed in a white and light gold colored bunny outfit

"Sharena! You look super cute with those bunny ears!" I said cheerfully

"You really think so? Kiran you're the best!"

"Yeah I think it suits you perfectly Sharena"

Alfonse then enters the room dressed in a bunny outfit. He looked extremely uncomfortable in the outfit. He looked at me with pleading eyes like he wanted me to convince Sharena to let him dress like normal. It was actually kinda strange to see him dressed up like this. His shirt exposed his bare chest and his pants looked a bit too tight on him. It was even weirder when I realized… he was a bit more toned than I thought he would be. He certainly wasn't Ike or Hector when it came to muscles, but still.

"Um… Kiran? Are you OK?" Sharena asked after I had spent several minutes studying the Askran prince.

"Y-yeah… I was thinking about strategies we could use for the next battle. Who knows? Maybe we'll confuse our enemy with these bunny outfits. I'm not sure how effective that would be against the Muspel army though." I said to deflect Sharena away from the fact that I was staring at her brother.

"Oh I like the way you think Kiran! That's why I got an outfit for you too!" Sharena than gave me an entire outfit complete with long bunny ears and black tights.

I could feel the color in my face drain away slowly, as this was a more revealing version of the bunny outfit. It was more similar to the one Camilla wore last spring.

"Come to think of it, I've never saw you wear anything but that coat of yours. I don't think I've seen your face either. It's always covered by that hood." Sharena said wryly

"I like it though… it makes me feel mysterious and interesting." I pouted.

"I'll have to admit… I'm kinda curious about what you look like too." Alphonse reluctantly admitted.

"Well… since it's you two… I guess I could show you guys what I really look like. But you guys need to leave so I can get dressed."

The two Askran royals left my room for me to change out of my usual attire and into my bunny suit. I undressed myself down to my underwear and then I put on the dark tights. After that came the actual suit itself. It was a little weird on me since I had a small chest area and my figure was a bit more boyish than most girls my age. I put my hair in a long ponytail and placed the bunny ear headband on my head. Finally I put on the thing I dreaded most about the whole thing… the gold stiletto heels I wore on prom night back when I was a senior in high school.

I still don't fully understand how I managed to summon half of my wardrobe from my apartment but it was better than not having any of my own clothes.

"God I hope I don't have to go to battle in these because the boots I wear with my normal outfit wouldn't look right." I thought to myself.

When I got up from putting my stilettos on, I instantly started regretting my decision as I began to walk awkwardly towards the door. I opened the door feeling embarrassed and awkward. I started to understand the pain Alfonse was going through in a way. Though my pain was mostly from wearing uncomfortable shoes instead of tight pants.

"So u-um… h-how do I look?" I blushed as I stuttered.

The looks on both their faces said a lot. They were definitely surprised to see my face.

"Kiran! You were hiding that the entire time?" Sharena asked incredulously

"I know it sounds a bit weird but… other than the part about being mysterious, it felt… safer I guess. I just feel calmer with my hood on. This war is putting a lot of stress on me so if putting a hood over my head helps me cope then well…" I rambled

"I'm not sure if I fully understand how that works. At any rate I think you look great." Alfonse

"I could say the same to you as well… you look rather dashing Alfonse." I blushed again

"Are you feeling ok there Kiran? Your face is turning kinda red." Sharena asked

"I-I feel just super. I-in f-fact, I'm gonna walk down to breakfast in this. I've gotta go eat bye!" I then zoomed out of the room as fast as a bunny.

* * *

"Is she already at the dining hall? How did she even run that fast in those shoes of hers?" Alfonse asked.

"I dunno. Maybe it's a girl's thing in her world!" Sharena suggested

"I find that hard to believe Sharena. Those shoes look maddingly uncomfortable."

"Maybe we should ask one of the heroes if they've seen Kiran!" Sharena said optimistically

"It's worth a shot, I guess" Alfonse grumbled

Sharena catches the attention of Robin, who was on her way from the dining hall heading in the direction of the library

"Robin, have you seen Kiran anywhere? She kinda suddenly ran off on us and we're worried about her." Sharena asked

"Ah I just spoke with her about some personal issues she's been having. She wanted ask me for advice but I'm afraid I wasn't able to answer her questions very well. I'll admit I was shocked to see her real face. I've never seen her without that hood covering it so I didn't even recognize her at first."

"Personal issues? Is it something I said?" Alfonse asked as his face scrunched up with worry

"I don't think you have said anything wrong, Alfonse. She'll come around eventually... especially when she has said nothing but good things about you and Sharena"

"Of course she wouldn't! She's our super bun bun pal!" Sharena said cheerfully

"Sharena please… no more bunny talk. We still need check on Kiran. I don't want to lose her to the enemy again" Alfonse said with a serious tone of voice

"Surrrreee If you say sooo~ Alfonse and Kiran sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-"

"Sharena please stop. We're just friends, that's all. Besides she will have to go back home eventually it just wouldn't work." Alfonse protested.

"Don't say that. Besides I bet she totally has a huge crush on you. I've seen the way she looks at you longingly." Sharena teases him some more

"I think you two would be a cute couple. If you think she'll leave when the war is over, then you should give her a reason to stay. I dont think it's a bad idea." Robin said while chuckling

Alfonse clenched his teeth together, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably. He actually blushed for a brief moment. It was silly to think that his friend would actually like him _that_ way. It would be selfish to keep her away from her home world longer than necessary and besides he promised to himself that he wouldn't get too close. At least that was how he wanted to rationalize it in his mind. However, there was a small part of him that wanted her to never leave and stay in the Order with him forever.

"L-Look, there's nothing between me and the Summoner. I just need to find her"

"Alright if you say so… she's in the dining hall eating chocolate chip pancakes"

"Thanks"

* * *

I began to mull over the conversation I had with Robin or at least the normal female version of her. The two possessed Robins were sitting in a corner faraway from me looking at me like a damn snack. The two Grimas have this weird like/hate relationship with me. It is hard to explain though. They mostly hate me, but they seem to also find me oddly interesting and entertaining. It's similar to how a pair of kids would be entertained by playing with their food and making gravy volcanoes in their mashed potatoes. It was not a feeling I particularly enjoyed, but it was nice knowing that they would safeguard their prey (aka me) from Veronica and the Muspellians before eating their aforementioned prey. I figured I would send out all the versions of Lucina, Chrom, Marth and Alm to kill them permanently if they ever finally decide that they were hungry for Summoner blood.

I then realized that I've spent half my time coming up with strategies for the possibility of becoming the main entree for a pair of divine dragons when i should have been drafting strategies for the next battle. I took a bite of my pancakes, courtesy of Jakob, and began to scribble notes into the margins of my journal. At first it was innocent enough, just a few notes on some who I should send out for the next battle and how best to equip them with seals, and skills, formation tactics… pretty normal stuff. Slowly but surely it devolved into doodles of some heroes and then some doodles of Anna, Sharena and then finally Alfonse. His by far ended up being far more detailed than the other stuff I drew. It felt like I was a middle school girl drawing hearts around her name and her crush's name. 'Kiran and Alfonse together forever!~'

"Yeah like that'll ever happen… it wouldn't be proper for the summoner and tactician to be romantically involved with a member of the Askran Royalty. It would create too much conflict of interest. Plus, it would probably paint a bigger target on my back that says 'bargaining chip please kidnap me and make me your hostage' than I already have. Though… I guess there wouldn't be much of a difference in that regard. I would still do anything for Alfonse and Sharena. They are my friends after all…" I thought to myself

"Kiran! Thank the gods we found you. We've been looking everywhere." Alfonse sighed in relief

"I told you guys where I was gonna be at… it's not as if anybody could come swooping in to kill me or anything. I'm pretty sure that Grima would make short work of them if they tried. It's rather sweet of you guys to worry though. Especially you, Alfonse"

"What do you mean? I always worry about you. You don't have a weapon and you don't know how to fight. We almost lost you before…"

"I-it's just that… you just seem so level headed most of the time that I kinda expected Sharena to be the one freaking out. N-not that I didn't think you that you wouldn't… I m-mean…"

"Won't you two worms shut up already and continue your mating rituals somewhere else? You make me want to puke!" Male Grima hollered from across the room.

"I-It's not like that! We're just friends!" I stammered.

"I can smell your sweat from all the way across the room Summoner! You can't lie to me"

"Nobody asked you for your opinion Grima! Don't act like you weren't looking at me like I'm a piece of meat either. If I hear another word from you, I will personally have five Falchions shoved right up your rectum!"

Grima grumbled to himself and maybe to his other self as well. Probably because he reeeaaalllyyy did not feel like having his host body bleeding profusely from his hind quarters. The Askr twins just looked at me like I had sprouted devil horns or something.

"Kiran can you tone down your language?" Alfonse asked seriously

"I'm only trying to keep them in line. Can you guys forgive me for being a little harsh? Pllleeeaaassseee?" I asked as I gave the siblings the puppy dog eyes.

"I cant say no to that Kiran!" Sharena said as she gave me a big hug

"See Alphonse? Sharena gets the idea because she's pretty awesome." I grinned slyly

Sharena seemed to be soaking in the praise while Alfonse just sweat-dropped at the whole scene. To be fair it was probably rather ridiculous from the perspective of an onlooker. I mean we were all dressed in bunny outfits and I had just smack talked Grima of all people while looking like a playboy magazine reject.

"I suppose I can't stay upset about it for too long. Besides, we've got a spring festival to go to and while I'm more interested in the history and origins of the festival, I'm sure Sharena would want all of us to go with her." Alphonse sighed.

"And by go you mean 'drag' right?" I teased.

"Heeeeeeyyyyy! Whassat supposed to mean Kiran?" Sharena pouted.

"It means that Alphonse is going to give us a history lecture on the way there. I'm rather interested in comparing the traditions here in Zenith and the ones from my home country in my world. I've noticed that a lot of Askr's traditions mirrors some of the ones I have, but with a few noticeable differences."

Sharena began to have groans of increasing discomfort at the thought of listening to her brother drone on and on endlessly about the symbolism of rebirth as represented by bunnies and painted eggs or whatever. Nonetheless, she was obviously just as curious about my world as Professor Alfonse.

"In what ways?"

"Well a lot of people in my world do similar things but for me the Spring Festival is called Easter and it has a more religious context. My family are not devout but they do attend church and the like on Easter Sunday. So when I was a wee summoner, My mother would wake us up at the crack of dawn to get us all prettied up for the occasion and I hated every minute of it. She said it would be sacrilegious for me to show up to Church on the day of Jesus Christ's resurrection or something like that, though I don't recall that ever being in the religious text. I didn't pay too much attention to the religious bits of it."

"That's interesting, but what does that even mean? I mean the Jesus resurrection thing?" Sharena asked.

"Oh right. I almost forget that Christianity is not as ubiquitous here. Long story short my parents believe in a god who is supposed to be the creator of basically the entire world. He then had a son who goes around doing prophet stuff like turning water into wine and stuff but his ultimate purpose and fate was to die so that the sins of humanity would be forgiven. In doing so he supposedly made it we would not be sent straight to Hell when we die. Hell is where sinners go after death to be punished and tortured for all eternity. Anyway, Jesus dies via execution and then they bury him. They later found his tomb empty. Turns out he got resurrected and decided to pay his disciples a visit and then he eats one last meal with them before going straight to Heaven, which is supposed to be the good place to go after death. Though to be honest, I would just like to think of Easter as a day of rebirth. It's much more digestible for me that way"

"It's sure not like the divine dragons we have here. I would be very interested in hearing more about it later but I don't see the similarities quite yet." Alfonse muttered

"Well I'm getting to that part, Your Royal Smartness. Anyway, we'd attend the the hour long sermon and then we would go to my grandparents' house to hunt the eggs we had dyed and painted the night before. The Easter bunny would then hide the eggs at night. Some of the eggs were not real eggs, but hollow eggs made of a material called 'plastic' and they would be filled with sweets and money and tiny toys and stuff. After that, the Easter Bunny would show up and then my mom and my grandma would harass me and my brother Kaiden into taking photos with the Easter Bunny. I don't mind taking photos mind you, but they would take like thirty photos each and no kid likes to sit still for forty minutes for anything. Anyway, my brother being the dastard that he was, eventually spoiled the actual fun part of the holiday for me by telling me that the Easter Bunny was not real and it was just Grandpa dressed up in a head to toe bunny suit. I was really upset because I really believed that he was real. Though… it did explain why I would hear the Easter bunny mumble about having 'Nam flashbacks occasionally"

"That sounds interesting… but what exactly do you mean by 'Nam flashbacks though?" Alphonse asked confused

"Oh right you wouldn't know about the Vietnam War. My family on my Dad's side have a long history of serving in the military since World War I, which was about century ago now that I think about it… Anyway My Grandpa is a war vet from the Vietnam war era and he…"

"Wait did you say World War… and there were more than one of them?" Sharena paled

"Yeah. There were two world wars in my world. Though some people count the Cold War as the third one. I personally disagree since most of the fighting done was by proxies if I remember correctly. The Cold War was still pretty nasty at the time though. Lots of fear mongering went on particularly involving communism and the atomic bomb threats."

"Kiran… what kind of horrible world do you live in?" Alphonse looked at me with fear

"Well if you want to look at it from a international political perspective, it's rather horrendous right now. But from a technology standpoint we are several centuries ahead of Zenith. We don't have any healing magic, but what we do have in terms of health is actually quite remarkable. Literally the biggest health issues right now, are things related to being overweight. My country is actually infamous for it's obesity epidemic. Oh and cancer is definitely still a thing you can die from even with treatment."

"I really don't know what to say… but your world sounds interesting. I would like to visit it one day." the Askran prince nodded

"I wanna go too! Every time I hear about Kiran's homeworld it makes me even more curious."

"I will gladly show you around and whatnot, but opening the portal to my world would be one thing but unless we can get Brave Veronica to agree to close it for us, this world's Veronica and literally every enemy of Askr would try to follow us into my world and it will only go downhill from there. Trust me when I say that acts of war on Embla or Muspell's part would be a death sentence for them. I could only imagine the political climate in Zenith would change drastically if my world were to find out that other worlds exist."

"I suppose you're right about the bit about needing to find a way to shut the portal to your world if we ever open it. Even if your world could handle the likes of Embla and Muspell, I wouldn't want to risk the lives of the innocent civilians. It also sounds like a security hazard for Zenith as well. The well-being of the people of Askr always has to come first."

"Spoken like a true leader, Alfonse. I'm sure you will make for a fine King one day and when that happens I want to be there for you. While I do want to eventually go back home and see my friends and family, I'm afraid that you guys are not going to completely get rid of me."

"Like we'd ever want to get rid of you. Your our friend and our Summoner so we want the exact opposite of that. I'm still disappointed that you guys went and formed a great legendary hero without me though."

"It was kind of a joke? I mean… Alfonse and I make a good team on the battlefield and he even helps me with tactics sometimes. That much is true and yet… I do wonder what would happen if the three of us were fused together… not only we'd have the best of each movement type but we'd be dragons and we could dance for the others on the front lines"

"Um… aren't we getting off track? The spring festival is going to start soon and I would like to get out of this ridiculous outfit soon."

"Of course, Alfonse. How about we go hunting for eggs together when we get there? Maybe that will keep your mind off things. We could use a break from all the fighting anyway." It was true. We hadn't had any breaks since the last festival two months ago. I didn't want to think about the Askran Valentine's day festival though. I was an incomprehensible mess for the entire duration of the event. This was because I had the bright idea of trying to ask Alfonse on a date, but whenever I tried to say anything it was like I could only speak in gibberish. He eventually had me sent to the med bay with several healers in tow plus Henry and Tharja. Apparently, he was convinced that I was hexed somehow. I eventually had to explain to the two dark mages that my "issue" was brought on by nerves and not by dark magic.

"I guess you're right, Kiran. A break would do everyone good."

"Then it's settled. We shall depart immediately. Last one there is a rotten egg!" I declared before taking off my high heels and dashing like a mad woman to the festival with my bare feet.


	3. Legends of Old

I had found myself in a rather peculiar position. I have found myself becoming the captor of Eír, the princess of Hel. I had no reason to trust her since it was rather suspicious that she would let herself be captured the way she did. There was also her apathetic demeanor which sent chills down my spine. There were times where I caught faint glimpses of sadness though I've had suspected that it had nothing to do with becoming a prisoner. I decided that for now I would treat her like I would any other Hero, even if it was logically counterproductive to speak with the daughter of the dead on amicable terms. She was under my command and as such, I needed her at her peak fighting condition if we were to have even the slightest chance against an entire army of the undead. Even _The Walking Dead _had nothing on Hel's undead army.

"Um… is there something bothering you? I know I'm supposed to keep an eye on you but I can't help but feel as though… hmm I'm not sure of the right words actually. Maybe it's just a morbid curiosity of mine. At any rate, I will make sure you're well taken care of."

"I'm not sure I understand… why are you?" Eír was curious even if her face didn't appear to show it. She looked as emotionless as always but I could tell by tone the of her voice that she was rather confused.

"Why am I being nice to a princess of death? Don't get me wrong I still think you'll stab me in the back and if you ever lay one hand on Sharena or Alfonse, I will personally handle your execution and send you back to your mommy dearest. I will not, however, leave you out to die needlessly. To be honest I'm surprised that the daughter of death is actually a living breathing person but the gift of life is not something that should be taken for granted."

"I see… Though there are others who would seek death. Death is deliverance. For those who who truly suffer it can be a mercy"

"Yeah I sorta understand it. Sometimes those who suffer terminal illness or those who suffer from great physical pain… I do suppose it can be comforting to die on your own terms. I personally like living, but I know I won't live forever. All I can do is live how I want and try to die on my own terms. Preferably peacefully at an old age, but dying while protecting my friends isn't a bad way to go either. It's not like I will get any second chances on life though, and neither will you. So… I don't want you to give up the gift you were given. N-not that I think you would do that of course. I would hope not but you are a bit hard to read." I said pensively

"I don't care enough either way to attempt suicide. My life is in your hands now."

Her words made me wince. How could she not care about her life one way or the other? I understood that living in the Zenith version of the underworld as it's princess would probably make her comfortable with the idea of dying herself but… something felt off about this girl. How could she not care? Most people in her current position as prisoner would at least try to do something to remedy it. While it was still possible that she is simply biding her time waiting for an order from Hel to assassinate either me, Sharena, Alfonse or maybe even Anna, I didn't think that was the only reason. I wanted to know what made Eír so… indifferent and disinterested about everything. After a long pause, I finally opened my mouth to speak

"I see. I'll be taking my leave here soon but I will be visiting you often, so I apologize in advance if I tend to get a bit long winded when I talk. Is there anything that you need? Food? Drink? Maybe a good book or two?"

"Erm… I suppose I could use a warm meal… But what kind of books do you have in mind?"

"Hold on… I got a classic book from my world that I enjoy reading. I'm not normally into reading literature books but I find this one to be fascinating. It's called Frankenstein Or the Modern Prometheus." I took out the copy out of my coat pocket and handed it to the princess of death.

For once Eír's facial expression showed a hint of emotion, that of curiosity. I considered it to be my first successful attempt at peeling away one of the many layers of sadness and apathy that usually adorned her face. Perhaps, my attempts at befriending this girl were not entirely in vain after all. A small smile slowly crept up on my face as the thought of perhaps growing close enough to her to convince her to stay on the side of the living. It was a risky gamble, but the pay off was equally rewarding.

"Thanks…" was all that she could say as the mask of indifference seemed to have been removed from her. Even if was for a short while.

* * *

I walked into the castle training grounds where I had made arrangements to meet with Odin Dark for our weekly magic practice. I never really managed to get the hang of using a tome, but it had never deterred me from continuing to try. I could very stubborn when I wanted to be, but it did help that Odin was every bit as entertaining as he was informative. We had taken to calling our training sessions "Chosen One Duels" even though most of the time, I would be standing there barely getting any sparks from a simple thunder tome while Odin shouted out words of encouragement like "Yes! Fell Beasts will soon tremble before the wrath of the Legendary Summoner!"

"Hello there Odin how fare thee?" I ask dramatically

"I am well for my third eye has predicted that on this fated afternoon thou shall succeed in mastering the thunder spell! Surely then we will be able to name your first spell."

"I actually have a few name ideas for that. But we must first hone my magic. I just don't understand how I can manage to summon an entire army but when i pick up a tome everything just fizzles. Clearly I must have some sort of magic ability if I can summon…"

"Don't worry! Even a Chosen Hero such as myself had to practice many times before mastering the dark arts! Just watch me. BLAZING SWORD!"

And just like that, an image of a giant ass sword with wings appeared and landed on top of a big ass boulder. The spell cleaved it into twain and as always, I was easily impressed by it. It was obvious that he had taken a liking to the grimoire I had given to him a few weeks ago. It was very "Odin" so I gave it to him knowing that it would serve him well and that it would strengthen his attacks. It costed me a pretty penny in divine dew, but I didn't regret it one bit. I gave Odin a round of applause and it made him beam radiantly with happiness. I had a feeling that I might be getting lectured by Niles and Prince Leo for indulging his ego too much, but I'm the Summoner dammit, and that means I'm the fourth highest in command. Or at least, so I tell myself.

I gathered my resolve and I grabbed the thunder tome I borrowed from Odin. I concentrated like I've been taught, and recited the spell. "STAR PLATINUM!" I shout as I managed to unleash a very weak spark and launch it in the general direction of a practice target. I missed my mark, but for a moment my newest accomplishment made me feel elated. That is, until I heard someone shout in pain from the stray thunder spell. I ran to find the person who I accidentally sent my spell to.

"Oh my gosh Takumi! Are you alright?" I asked while in a mild panic

"It's just a flesh wound. I've had worse." Takumi winced. I noticed that he was a bit scorched where I had accidentally hit him

"Well even still, I will have Odin call over Sakura to heal you up. It was my fault, so it's the least I can do." I motioned to my current magic instructor to grab Sakura and he quickly ran off to do just that.

"Im fine really! I'll just get some bandages it's no big deal"

"I'm really sorry Takumi! I'm still learning how to use tomes so I haven't learned how to control it. Magic doesn't exist in my world so I dunno if that is what makes it more difficult for me…"

"Perhaps you should just stick to summoning heroes, Kiran. No offence, but you're not cut out for the front lines anyway."

"I'm not looking to fight though. I never wanted to fight… but if I train, I will be able to defend myself and then I can dedicate more heroes to fight Hel's army. We are going need all the help we can get if we are going to fight actual dead people. An army of the undead is going to be tough to beat. I'm going to need the help of my best archers and I need them to be in top condition. I can rely on you for that, right?"

Takumi nodded. He had a look of satisfaction on his face, as his skills rarely got acknowledged back in his homeland of Hoshido. When I first summoned Takumi, he was very combative and he really didn't like me too much. I guess ripping him away from his homeland made him distrustful of me and I really couldn't blame him, since I knew what it was like. Despite that, I had a hard time getting along with him as he had often just glared at me and only acknowledged me when I sent him to the battlefield. Eventually, as I worked with him more and more, I had came to realize that I wasn't the only issue he was dealing with and found him passed out from over exhaustion while training with his Fujin Yumi. Really, all he had ever wanted was to be equal to his older brother in strength. After that incident, I had made it a point to bug the poor dastard when ever I had spare time. Nowadays, I send his retainers after him as my spare time is extremely limited, but I always make it a point to send him a note. Now we are steadfast friends and allies.

"That's great! I'm glad that I have so many friends here. I have never imagined that I would be pulled into this world and help lead so many heroes into battle for three different wars and still manage to make friends with them. It's kinda funny, because now I'm sorta torn between this world and my own. I get homesick sometimes but at the same time, I don't want to leave the friends I've made here." I sighed heavily.

"I understand how that feels, Kiran. I miss Hoshido very much but right now we are needed here. Have you talked to Alfonse and Sharena about this?"

"I'm just kinda afraid that Alfonse might not take me leaving too well, so I haven't really brought it up with them very much. I promised them I would show them my world one day if I ever get the chance, but there may be a possibility that when this is all over, I'll go home and find that I can't go back. Al has once told me that a hero he made friends with left without a goodbye and he was quite upset about it. He's been trying to distance himself from the other heroes and he even avoided me at first to because of it. I just don't want to hurt him again like that."

Takumi opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the arrival of Odin and Princess Sakura who immediately went to check on the burn that I had given him earlier.

"Thank you coming on such short notice, Princess Sakura. I understand that the clerics have been extremely busy lately since the last battle, so I appreciate everything you are doing. I know he is your brother, but I'm still grateful all the same"

"O-oh it's no trouble really. I-Im just happy to help. J-just try to be more careful with your magic from now on." Sakura stammered as she raised her physics staff to heal her brother. I stared in awe as light enveloped Takumi and the wound slowly closed up and vanished. It didn't even leave a scar. Over the past two years of witnessing healing magic at work thousands of times it never ceases to amaze me. I mean sure modern medicine from back home can do wonders but I wondered how many lives could be saved if doctors and nurses could use healing staves in addition to the advanced technology and knowledge we already use.

"Thanks for the save, Odin! Your hard work is very much appreciated"

"It's all in a day's work for Odin Dark! I perish the thought that Lord Takumi would fall from his wounds!" Odin grinned as he did a pose

I laughed and returned the favor by T-posing after which I explained that it was a pose in which younger people from my world attempt to use its power to assert dominance over each other. Takumi sweat dropped and Sakura looked at me with confusion mixed with curiosity. I chuckled to myself. Never underestimate the power of dank memes.

"Odin Dark is most proud of his protege of darkness. You'll surpass even I, the Dark Chosen Warrior of Fate!"

"Thou art too kind. For while I may be descended from a long line of legendary warriors, I am far from the fighters they were. If I'm to fulfill my duty, I must train my body, mind and spirit daily. Only then will my Hero's journey be complete" I then struck another pose reminiscent of the pose Caesar from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure did in Battle Tendency. I've been seriously considering lending a physical English copy of the manga to Odin to convert him into a fan.

"I have no idea what either of you are saying. Can't you just speak normal? And why are you posing? Nothing here makes sense" Takumi muttered

"I was just joking around with Odin. It's just fun to do dramatic poses and talking like this makes me sound like the hero of an old English play with a dramatic and tragic backstory. Plus, I like naming weapons and stuff like that. Old legends from my world often have the hero find legendary swords all with their own names and stuff. There's this one legend where a boy becomes the king of Camelot in old England after a fairy gifts him a sword with mystical powers called the Excalibur. Not be confused with Merric's Excalibur tome though."

"You say that, but didn't you say earlier that magic doesn't exist your world?" Takumi asked

"People in my world several centuries ago believed that magic existed but as far as I'm aware, magic doesn't actually exist back home. Even if it did, it wouldn't have existed in the same capacity as it does in this one. So the legends of King Arthur and his knights never actually existed either. There is no historical evidence of their existence, only the legends. Supposedly, the Excalibur was made with Damascus steel, which is one of the strongest types of steel in history. Unfortunately, the knowledge on how to make Damascus steel has been lost to time. It was also said that the bearer of the sword would be unable to die of blood loss, but the rest of my memory of the legend is a bit foggy, as the lore behind Arthur has changed several times over the centuries. " It was clear that I was geeking out over all of this. I loved old legends like Beowulf and Arthur and The Knights of the round table. I was actually taking history classes at my university on these kinds of things and I would often spend many nights reading up on whatever I could find about old myths and legends on the internet.

"O-oh, that's a shame… I actually wanted to know more about the story. It all sounds so…" Sakura stammered.

"Well if you guys want, I could talk about other old myths from my world. Reading about them was one of my pastimes after all. It's all rather fascinating but I am curious as to whether or not Alfonse would be able to read the Poetic Edda in its original language… if my hypothesis is correct, then the Askran language might be similar to the language spoken by the Norse Vikings. They were a group of people from my world that were famous for their seafaring capabilities and were supposedly fierce warriors."

"Wh-what makes you believe that they are similar?" Sakura asked

"Lots of things actually. Take Alfonse's weapon Folkvangr, for example. In old Norse mythology Folkvangr is the name of one of the places your spirit could go to if you died heroically in battle. And there's the fact that Hel actually exists here as well. I'm not sure if Hel has dominion over the dead in all of the worlds, or just here in Zenith, but that's way too close for my tastes. My world and Zenith seemed to be connected to each other in some sort of way. However, it also seems very different to the way it is connected to the worlds that Heroes come from. But if it is truly connected, then maybe my world could hold a clue to-" I was then interrupted by the frantic voice of Anna

"Kiran! We need you to prepare for the next battle right away. King Gustav sent out the orders just now!"

"Did he now? Well that definitely puts a damper on my little story time session. We're heading to the tomb I take it?" I asked Anna.

"Exactly. The king's troops are already mobilizing as we speak"

"Leave it to me then. I'll gather up the other tacticians and we'll draw up the plans faster than you can say 'Kiran is the best summoner" I then winked at her before leaving to draw up the plans.

**A/N: Just for the record, from chapter 5 onwards, I'm going to stop using line breaks. I was using line breaks in my drafts since I thought the document editor thing in fanfiction had a linebreak function. I remember having that option the last time I wrote fanfics on this site (I never actually used the option) so either a)the option for line breaks never existed and I'm misremembering shit, b) the option _does_ exist but not on the mobile app which Im using, or c) it did exist but it's no longer an option. At any rate the placeholders I had put in for the past couple of chapters look very jarring to me so Im going to do something else. Unfortunately, since I write the chapters way ahead of time, you will be seeing the "~Linebreak Placeholder~" thing grace the screen for the next chapter. skiddibibbbido nobody actually reads A/Ns right? Well jokes on you, because the angel ring doesn't double growths!**


	4. Curse of the Deadly Skeleton Lady

I had failed. The mission ended in disaster and I had only myself to blame. I shouldn't have sent him out in the front lines… Tears were rolling down my face. Alfonse is now living on borrowed time and I couldn't do a damn thing to fix it. I felt like my mind was pulling me in so many directions, and my heart felt like the shattered windshield of a car after a wreck. I cradled one of the many books that I've borrowed from the castle's library in my hands as if it were a small child and began skimming through its contents desperately searching for an answer. Deep down I knew the futility of it all but I was too angry and upset to accept it. I wanted to deny it all. In nine days he will be dead and I will be left to live with all my regrets. I haven't felt so useless and helpless since the time I almost got kidnapped by Veronica. It wasn't long until the pages of the book I was reading were covered with my tears.

I heard a knock on the door. I dried my tears and I put my hood on to obscure my face. I thought that it would be best to hide my bloodshot eyes from whoever was at the other side of the door. I opened the door and to my shock it was Henriette. It almost didn't register in my brain. I've only spoken with her once during the war and she was the last person I had expected to be making a visit to my quarters.

"Y-your H-highness. What can I do for you today?" I choked out as I tried to sound dignified in front of the queen.

"I was just on my way to check on Alfonse and… I thought you would like to come with me. Sharena told me you two were close friends." Henriette also looked very down and I guess my attempts at hiding my emotions were almost pointless.

"O-of course. We are best friends now… after everything we went through together, I would be surprised if we weren't friends. I j-just wish… that I could've done more to help him. I shouldn't have sent him to fight out there… it is my job to make sure they get through battles safely and I'm…" Tears were threatening to come out as spoke but I was determined to remain professional as possible.

"Shhh… It's okay… you don't have to put a brave face on all for me. None of this is your fault, Kiran. I've been told by Alfonse that you tend to be way too harsh on yourself. He doesn't want you to shoulder all of the blame."

"I just don't know what to do Your Highness. I'm not sure if I could keep going if he does succumb to Hel's curse. I've been raiding the library for answers but they say the same thing… and I don't want to believe it. All I can do is wait until Hel shows up… after which there's no guarantee he will live."

"I understand that. That's why I think you should go see him. Alfonse is trying to put on a brave face but… I really do think he would feel a little more at ease with you around."

I quietly nodded in agreement and walked outside of my room and went towards Alfonse's room. Henriette followed me and we continued talking. It was rather awkward for me since I really didn't know what to talk about, but I did notice that she is very motherly and kind. It almost felt as though she was extending that kindness and warmth to me even though she must have been feeling even more sad than I was. It was like talking to a more mature version of Sharena. They even had some of the same mannerisms.

We knocked on the door to Alfonse's room. Alphonse opens it up looking mostly unfazed physically by the curse. I weakly smile at him because while I was happy to see him, I knew that I would only have nine days to make everything count. Prayer was not something that I would normally turn to, but I was desperately praying for a miracle, for his survival. It wasn't likely but… a part of me still holds onto a small hope that he will. I began to make a mental note to have more ninjas keep an eye on him if my prayers are answered.

"Kiran! Mother! It's nice to see the both of you."

"We came to see how you are doing… I can't help but worry about you sometimes. I'm kind of selfish like that I guess" I said sheepishly

"Then in that case, I'm glad you're being a little selfish. It's not always a bad thing, after all."

"Sometimes I swear this guy is too good for this world. How is he even keeping a straight face on?" I thought to myself

"I agree taking time to do things that bring you happiness once in awhile is good for you. What you are doing is far from selfish, Kiran." Henriette agreed.

"I know but… We're partners in crime and I would really hate to see you fighting under her banner." I paused for a moment. It had only just occurred to me that if he dies I would have to face him on the battlefield. While I never did any of the fighting myself, I was always present at the fight shouting out orders and the like while the fights took place. Which meant that I would eventually bear witness to Alfonse dying and then being forced to fight on Hel's behalf, which would also mean I'd have to see him get 'killed' many times after death. It truly would be like witnessing my own personal Hell, not mention that not being allowed to rest in eternal rest after death would be an even greater Hell. I felt my own face turn at least three skin tone shades paler than usual.

"Kiran! Are you alright? Do you need to go to the infirmary?" He asked me as if he wasn't the one going to get killed by a floating glowing skeleton chick with an entire army of zombies.

"I'll be fine I think.. but we cant let her win. I won't let you die on my watch if I can help it. There's got to be a way to stop it and I'll be darned if I didn't try my darndest to give Askr the opening it needs. I am the tactician and summoner after all, so it stands to reason that I could come up with something." I said determined to save the Askran Prince.

"I don't doubt that you will. There's got to be a limit to Hel's power and I know that we can find it together."

It was at that point that I suddenly gave him a big hug. I dunno why I did but it sorta felt like the right thing to do at the moment. However when I touched him, he felt colder than the tiddy of a Niflese with poor blood circulation. This was especially true in the chest area where his heart would be. Not only that, I could feel the cold from underneath all the armor he wears. To top it all off, Im shorter than he was so when I hugged him my face would naturally be where his chest was. I felt like I had stuck my entire face into the freezer that I had back in my apartment at home.

"Jesus tap dancing Christ Alfonse! You're freezing cold! Like you're even colder than Fjorm's hands! Do you want me to get some blankets and some firewood? Oh God I've been making a fool of myself and I didnt even bother to ask about how you are holding up"

"I-it's ok Kiran! I feel mostly fine!" was what Alfonse managed to eke out. I guess he was a bit surprised by the sudden bear hug I had just given him. I think I might've even seen him blush a bit but I've could've also been seeing things. It was still rather cute of him, though. I then quickly chastised myself for even thinking like that when Alfonse was literally dying.

"I think 'mostly' is code for 'I'm not OK', Alfonse. Cut it out with the lies and give it to me straight." I demanded

His facial expression quickly changed into something a bit more serious. I could tell that he was starting to feel very uncomfortable. "Everything feels fine except right here." He then puts his hand on his chest where his heart would be.

"And how does that feel? You're not feeling any pain anywhere else like in your left arm or anything?" I asked. It was kinda silly but I wanted to make sure that he wasn't having a heart attack. It was probably unlikely even with the curse from the purple glowing skeleton lady, since he was young and healthy otherwise.

"No it's just that my heart feels like it's being stabbed by an icy dagger… and I feel a bit cold but I can still fight and do work for the Order." He winced

"Well I think you should take a break and get some rest. We can't have you overwork yourself when you aren't feeling like you're at 100 percent. I'm sure Her Highness would agree with me"

"I quite agree, though I would like to add that the same could be applied to you as well. You seem to be infamous for overworking yourself according to Alphonse and Sharena. I've also asked a few of the Heroes and castle servants as well and they say the same thing. I appreciate your dedication of course, but do take care of yourself"

I didn't expect to be lectured by the Queen, but for some reason, I didn't mind it too much either. She was reminding me a little of my own mother, even if I didn't get to spend much time with Mom in my teen years, since she and my dad would often leave us at home for their business trips at the time. Honestly, it made me miss my own mother. It has been years since I've felt the warmth of a parent's love so I just attributed it to mild homesickness.

"W-well… I would like to think that I'm returning the favor. Alfonse has helped me several times with my bad habits. I'm actually cutting down on the amount of Blend #107 I've been drinking. I'm down to three cups of coffee instead of the five cups I used to drink everyday. Let me tell you, I suffered from some serious caffeine withdrawal and I hadn't even cut it out completely yet, but I have been getting much more quality sleep."

"I'm actually quite impressed so far. You used to look like Hel tried to recruit you to be a general of her army every morning" Alfonse chuckled

My jaw momentarily dropped. Mainly because even as best friends, I rarely ever hear him crack jokes. "Hahaha, very funny Al. Since when did you become such a funny guy?"

"W-well… I think you've rubbed off on me a little bit." he replied sheepishly

I was secretly glad Niles wasn't around to make an out of context innuendo joke out of this. I was one of the few that could talk to him and not be completely disgusted by the way he constantly spoke in double entendres and innuendos. It still occasionally struck me the wrong way but for the most part I was already used to the way some of my guy friends back home would talk. Though they mostly did it in a more humorous way. While I definitely could appreciate ribald humor and even crack a few dirty jokes of my own, Niles sometimes seemed to do it specifically to piss people off.

"Im slightly miffed that you basically told me that you lied to me the first few months I was here… but I appreciate the honesty now. Hehehe… I guess we both got influenced by each other. I still stand by what I have said last year by the way. I think it had something to do with you becoming a great king and with me cheering you on in the background. All you need to do is believe in yourself and the rest will slowly fall into place. At least, that's what I still think anyways"

"I'm still not sure if I'm ready to assume the role yet. You put too much faith in me, Kiran"

"And you put too much faith in me as a tactician. I'm just returning the favor."

We were then interrupted by a knock on the door. Alfonse answered it and someone came in. It was Commander Anna right on que. Her timing reminded me of something important.

"Alfonse have you seen Kiran? We need her at the war council asap."

"Ah Anna! Perfect timing! Would you be a lamb and keep an eye on Alfonse while I go accost some of the servants for some extra blankets and firewood?"

"Kiran this is-" Anna said as she tried to finish her sentence

"Great! I'll be back in a bit!" I then quickly ran off to find Felicia and Flora.

* * *

"Gods… why is Kiran such a…?" Anna grumbled

"A handful? I can't say but she's really something else. We're lucky to have such a kind summoner"

"Um Zenith to Alfonse? This is an important meeting and she just blew me off!"

"Ermm…I'm sure she didn't mean to ignore you like that. She's just concerned is all. I've been feeling cold so she offered to get me some blankets." the dying prince explained

"But we need a plan to defeat Hel and we can't start without her"

"I believe she's been locked up in her own room trying to figure something out until I rescued her. She must've been at it for the past few days since there were so many piles of papers and books in her room. Perhaps, letting her have this momentary reprieve would be wise" Henriette advised.

Anna looks at the Queen with a liberal amount of shock. Even though Kiran had often did things that rubbed her slightly the wrong way, there were times that Anna would temporarily forget that Kiran was a simple civilian before she had been summoned to Askr. Ripped away from her home by Anna's own hand with the simple pulling of a 'trigger'. Anna had always wondered if a small part of Kiran still resented her, even after two years of getting to know her. Anna watched her doubt her title, waste away in the castle library for the first few months, and she even seen her watch in horror as a hero died for the first time. Kiran was the kind of person who never should've been a part of any war. Anna would often tell herself that it was the only way to win against the Emblian army and the desperate situation warranted all of it. It was mostly true. They really didn't have any other options. It didn't mean that Kiran would like it, though.

"Alright but we need to hurry. Hel's curse is not going to wait for anyone." Anna sighed in defeat.

Right after Anna had finished her sentence, Felicia walks carrying a comically large amount of folded blankets stacked on top of each other. It was stacked so high, that it would've been impossible for her to see what was in front of her. And it was. The first thing she did shortly after arriving, was trip and drop her tower of blankets all over poor Alfonse. Felicia apologized profusely all while Alfonse looked like a burrito. Kiran walked in and snickers pulling out the strange device she always kept on her person to take pictures while muttering "All according to the keikaku"


	5. White Lie

"Darn it. Lost again… How do you keep doing this Virion?" I asked eyeing the pieces on the board.

"Are you ready to admit defeat fair maiden?"

"Gahh! No I cannot admit defeat if I wish to win the upcoming battles. I'll reset the board" I grumbled as I reluctantly reset the board. It was a game gifted to me by male Robin and I was determined to use it to its full capacity to help me determine the best ways to fight Hel's ever growing army. I had volunteered Virion to be my test dummy opponent… except Virion is actually smarter than he appears and has been decimating me in almost every match thus far.

He was actually a quite serviceable tactician in his own right, though his methods were very questionable at best. Considering how common it was for him to sacrifice certain pieces from his own forces, it made me shiver to think about how he would command his own forces in Roseanne. From the perspective of the game it all made logical sense. Heck some of the strategies I have seen him were actually pretty standard tactics in my world during the medieval period.

However, I couldn't afford to treat my pieces in the same manner. Briedablik can bring heroes back from the dead but to have them die over and over again was not something that I had wanted to do to them. I could only imagine how that could mess with their minds. There were other troops to consider though. Mainly, the King's knights were not heroes and therefore could not respawn with a use of Breidablik. While they were under the command of the King himself and not mine, any loss on his end would only serve to bolster Hel's army. I designed my strategies around minimizing losses as a way of slowing the growth of the enemy troops.

"I must say that I'm quite impressed with how fast you are learning. If Askr has you as their tactician then we have nothing to worry about"

"I don't take empty flattery very well, Virion. There were several mistakes that I've made and all of them costed me my most valuable pieces. You have even captured my commander. This may be a game now, but those pieces each represent Sharena, Alfonse and Anna. I can't afford to lose them in the real battle." I clenched my fists nearly crushing the piece that represented Anna that I was holding onto earlier.

"But I am speaking from the heart, Kiran. You've got everything you need to be a great tactician and it shows in how you use your troops. You refuse to lose even one of us, despite the safety net Breidablik has built into it. My people would've tried to stage a mutiny on me if I had tried to do anything I just did in the game for real"

"It still doesn't change the fact that I lost. I'm sure Hel would treat her army in a similar way since she doesn't have to worry about dying... because well, they are already dead. I should prepare to fight against an army that considers the lower ranks completely disposable." I grimaced a grimace that rivaled Oboro's when she was thinking about Nohrians.

"That's why we are playing this board game no? To hone and perfect your skills as a strategist to prepare us for the future battles for us to come correct?"

"Yes of course, Virion. Thank you for being patient with me. Both you and Takumi are the first heroes I've ever summoned and I'm grateful to you for the continued support."

"But of course I will always support you, dear Kiran. It's what the Archest of Archers does best" he grinned.

I looked at the sundial that was situated outside over by the library window. It was almost time for me to do my daily weapon training with one of my various instructors. While I have taken a shine to magic, I have been trying out other weapons as well. I'm still far from good at anything yet, but I knew I had to keep trying. I was supposed to meet up with Kagero to continue learning how to use throwing knives and how to be stealthy like a ninja. While I was terrible with knives, I had been making some headway with my stealth lessons. I was proud of myself because it would make it harder for enemies to hit me if they cant see me, and that would make it easier for me to communicate my plans with heroes while in the middle of a battle.

I excused myself from my game session with Virion and begun to head towards the training area. I was halfway through to where I was headed when I saw Alfonse and King Gustav speaking with each other about something very serious. I hid myself behind a column just barely within earshot. I didn't like to admit it, but I often felt a bit intimidated whenever the King was around. It wasn't the same kind of intimidation that I had felt from Hel, but he seemed to command a ton respect out of the normal rank and file soldiers and the servants as well. Of course that was normal since he was the King and I was just the Summoner.

I began to listen in on everything they were talking about. From what I gathered, Gustav was lecturing his son about how he shouldn't get too close to the Heroes or the Summoner. I clenched my teeth to keep myself from immediately getting too angry. I was not too happy about what he was saying, but it was not my place to say or do anything about it.

"I know you're there, Summoner. Come out of your hiding spot." I heard Gustav say very loudly.

In my mind, I could hear an announcer with a deep voice say "It was at that moment, Kiran knew… She fucked up." Anyways, old memes aside, I didn't know how much trouble I was going to be in for eavesdropping on them. I tried to stay put to see if I could stay hidden from sight. Unfortunately, I was not graced with such luck as Gustav approached my hiding spot and Alfonse reluctantly followed.

"Are you sure Kiran is-?" Alfonse questioned, apparently not having felt or seen my presence.

Before Alfonse could even finish what he was saying, I had found myself being dragged out into the open by Gustav. I was pretty shocked by it all, really. The dude had a very solid grip on me and there was no use in fighting it. I panicked to myself internally trying think of getting myself out of this mess free. Alfonse just looked at me slightly confused. Probably thinking "What the actual heck Kiran?"

I began to internally panic because my mind was drawing a blank. I had nothing that could get me out this. I had no plans on how to explain why I was listening in on them and no way to magically ninja myself out this.

"Care to explain why you were eavesdropping, Summoner?" Gustav asked firmly

"Er… well… I was just playing a game of hide and go seek with some of the manaketes and I picked this spot as my hiding spot. N-not that I'm doing this to goof off or anything like that. I've been training in the ways of stealth and thought it would be a good way to test my skills. Im deeply sorry for interrupting your discussion Your Majesty." I say without thinking it through.

Gustav didn't seem to buy my lie at all. Alfonse seemed to believe me and to be fair, my lie was actually somewhat plausible as I frequently played the game with Nowi, Fae, and both Kannas if I was able to spare some time. I never won though because they had the unfair advantage of being able to go into their dragon forms and then use either their height advantage or they would fly over for a bird's eye view if we were outside. The only thing is that if either Gustav or Alfonse tried to ask one of them to verify my alibi, I would be screwed.

"What she says is true, Father. She does play with the dragons occasionally, so I have no reason to believe that she would try to deceive us." Alfonse says in my own defense.

I seriously don't deserve this guy as a friend. Like he's too good for this world or even any other world. I quickly thanked God for it was almost like it was destined for us to be friends together. While Im still no devout, a small part of me still wanted to believe in it.

"I will be the judge of that. Summoner, it would behoove you to tell us the absolute truth. If you are to be trusted like my son believes you to be, then you need to be truthful."

"Are you saying that you don't believe me even with Alfonse's support? Even I were lying, I wouldn't have anything to gain. I've proven myself plenty of times over where my loyalties lie. My loyalty will always be with the Order and no one could convince me otherwise." The words were falling out of my mouth before I could think about what I was saying.

"And now you must prove it to me. Are you worthy to stand next to my son as his tactician? Or… was the last battle all the proof I need? You had a part in the battle that cursed Alfonse. It was you who sent him out to fight Hel after all."

"I did send him out for many reasons, but I already regret putting him in danger like that. I couldn't have predicted Hel showing up, but I should've sent other Heroes to deal with the enemy. I've been working day and night almost non-stop trying to find a way to deliver the final Hail Mary to Hel before the curse is to take hold. The only thing is… we tried luring her out since the curse was first laid out. The only option we seem to have left, according to the simulations I ran, would be to wait it out until the final day and strike her down there. I find this to be… unacceptable as a battle plan but given that Hel is not going to come out before she… she…" I found myself unable utter the next words that were lingering on my tongue.

"What the both of you did was reckless. Askr has suffered a loss. It's time to move forward and learn from your mistakes"

"Alfonse is still alive and for as long as he draws breath, I won't accept defeat. I accept that deploying him on the battlefield that day was a costly mistake, but my trust in him and his abilities was not a mistake! I refuse to believe that my friendship with Alfonse is a mistake!"

Alfonse nodded in agreement. "Kiran is my closest friend and I have no doubts about her or her tactics. I trust her with my life and she trusts me with hers. Together, we are a team. She's smart, kind and she's always been there for me. She's more than worthy of being my tactician and my friend."

I had felt my face turn bright red. I wished that I hadn't done that in front of Gustav but I couldn't help it. My only possible saving grace was my hood which covered up half of my face. I mentally cursed myself for having a dumb crush on the prince. Unfortunately, all that managed to do was make my heart race.

Gustav seemed to notice my reaction though and it made me feel extremely nervous. I then realized that there was no way I was going to left alone until I finally tell the truth.

"Alfonse… Your Highness… I really am sorry for eavesdropping on you. The truth is… I was just on my way to the training grounds because like I had mentioned earlier, Im taking stealth lessons. I'm also learning how to use throwing knives but that's not as important right now. I saw you guys on my way to my lesson and I didnt want to bother you so I tried to use what I've learned to hide. Please forgive me for my transgressions."

"But then why did you lie?" Alfonse frowned

"I was afraid to tell the truth. It's a rather dumb reason, but I panicked."

"That's enough. You've learned your lesson for today Summoner. There are a few things that we must discuss later after I've finished with my duties. I will send for you when the time comes" Gustav said gruffly

It was then I felt a small part of myself die a little on the inside. The words he uttered sent chills down my spine. Something was off about the last thing he said. "I understand. I will await your orders Your Majesty."

The King then dismissed himself and that left me with Alfonse. His mood was now a bit sour and I was to blame for it. The floor started to look very interesting right then. I had never felt that ashamed about telling someone a small lie before. The lie might have been small, but it ended up making me look more suspicious than then act of trying to play ninja on them did.

"Kiran I-"

"I know. I've disappointed you. It's understandable really, I'm kinda an idiot like that. Had I just told the truth it wouldn't have mattered as much."

"It does sadden me that you didn't just tell me the truth. However, one thing you are not is an idiot. Of course, that doesn't mean that you don't possess your own flaws." Alfonse said seriously

"Like what?" I asked him curiously

"For one, you tend to beat yourself up far too much. Everyone doubts themselves sometimes, but you judge yourself far too harshly. Another I've noticed is that you tend to go overboard with your work. I dont like seeing you overwork yourself to exhaustion. It worries everyone when you spend days in the library barely eating or sleeping. These things don't necessarily make me think any less of you of course, but that's what I've observed over the two years we've known each other."

"It's something I'm working on. I used to study in university before I was summoned, so there would be times where I would pull all nighters to finish my assignments or to study for tests. Secondary school can be rough at times. But when I came here, I felt like I constantly needed to study if I wanted to become the brilliant tactician that You and Anna said I was. I began to seeing each battle as a test of my abilities and knowledge. If I failed the 'test' then the consequences would graver than a poor mark at the end of the semester. It sounds stupid but it's true. I probably would have overworked my way into Hel if it weren't for you. That's the absolute truth."

"I'm just doing my job as a prince and a friend, Kiran. I can't have you die on me like that. Just promise me that you won't hide anything important from me. I really did mean everything I have said to Father."

"I know you did. Thank you for everything you've done for me so far Alfonse! I will continue working with you and The Order for a long time!" I said happily no longer caring that I was blushing again.

"I'm glad to know that you will continue your work, Kiran. I know that I rely on you a lot but never forget that you can do the same with me. I'm always willing to help whenever possible."

"Well… there a few things you could help me out with later, but right now I'm going to take you off the front lines and have you protect me. It should be a bit less strenuous for you and it will make it easier for me to watch over you. I also have my own purely selfish reasons for asking this."

"And what might they be, Kiran?" he asks

"That's a secret I'm going to have to tell you later. I promise that I will tell you when I'm ready."

"But why not tell me now? You know that you can tell me anything… and if the plan doesn't work then…" Alfonse sighed sadly

"Alfonse you are one impatient and impulsive guy. I want to wait because… It would hurt me a lot more if I told you right now. If you died, then… the truth would only serve to rub salt into a deep wound. I would prefer it if I could tell you after we get over this hurdle first. I know that sounds kinda corny and cliche but I promise that at the end the week… should no harm come to pass to you, I won't hold it from you any longer. The timing is important so that's why."

"Well then I will hold you to that. But for now, I will let you go to your lesson with Kagero. I wish you good luck with your training."

"Thanks, I will definitely need all the luck I can get right now." I then waved him goodbye before leaving the area.


	6. The Test

I was jamming out to some of my tunes that were downloaded onto my phone. I had managed to keep the darn thing charged by having one of the mages use low voltage thunder tomes on it. It was shocking to me that I hadn't overloaded the battery yet, but I was grateful nonetheless.

"I can't remember anything. I can't tell if this is true or dream. Deep down inside I feel to scream. This terrible silence stops me~" I sang along with the song.

I must admit that as a kid, whenever my dad came home from active duty, he would listen to heavy metal with me. It brought some nostalgic feelings for my childhood. I missed the times I would spend hours just listening to my dad's favorite songs with him. My mom didn't like it as much though, and preferred to listen to pop instead. I try to keep that kind of music to myself nowadays, since I didn't think any of the Heroes around the castle would appreciate it that much. I imagine that it would be too drastically different from the kind of music they probably listen to.

There was a knock on my bedroom door. I place my phone on a small end table next to my bed. I answer the door and found Marth. I was glad it wasn't Gustav or Henriette because otherwise it would have been even more awkward for me. I politely greeted him only for another part of of the song to play.

**"Hold my breath as I wish for deeaathhhh! Oh please God wake meeeeeeeee!~"**

Marth now looks like he's slightly uncomfortable and I honestly couldn't blame him. I smiled at him awkwardly. "Kiran…?"

"Oh… Sorry about that. My taste in music isn't to everyone's taste I guess. I have a device that lets me listen to lots of music. It does other stuff in my home world, but I mainly just listen to my favorite songs on it nowadays."

"I-I see… Anyways I was wondering if you were available to train with me today. I know you have been busy for the last few days but it's important to keep training your skill with a blade. We all worry about your safety."

"I agree that I should continue trying to find a fighting style that would work for me… However, I am waiting for His Highness' summons. I will contact you as soon as I'm available to spar with you."

Marth politely nodded in understanding. Marth was the type of guy who was super polite and probably wouldn't speak ill of any of his friends and allies, even if they deserved it. I honestly felt bad for basically blowing him off, but my dumbass miffed the King so now I've been running several campaigns under his watch. There was no end in sight either but I obeyed every order that was given to me. Needless to say, the knights regiment was suddenly more effective now. I was being tested to my limits, but I was curious to see what his ultimate goal was.

"My apologies for interrupting you. I wish you luck on your audience with King Gustav, Kiran."

"I'll need all the luck I can get. I've been running so many campaigns for him, that I could ask for a month's worth of vacation from Anna. Actually, that sounds kinda heavenly right now. I don't know when was the last time I actually had time off. That settles it! Alfonse and Anna owe me a vacation after all of this is sorted out."

Marth laughed in agreement. He then bid me farewell and left. I sat down on my bed and listened to the rest of _One_ by Metallica. I really liked the song and the song sort of spoke to me in a way since it was about a man who loses their arms, their legs, and their ability to see and hear after being injured by a landmine. The man was basically living life as if he was already in hell and he wanted to die. As a child growing up around military vets, I knew several people who had lost a lot while 'fighting the good fight.' Some had lost one of their limbs, others lost comrades and now bear the trauma of watching someone's head explode. Quite literally, in fact.

Hell, while I haven't fought in the war myself, I still had to witness so much death… Gunthra's death still haunts me to this very day. It wasn't everyday that a person can get a front row seat to see a princess get burned alive. It wasn't even a seat that I had even wanted.

I sighed as the song changed to _Face Down_ by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I shook my head at myself. Apparently, today was the day that the shuffle function decided to revisit my emo goth phase. I definitely was the living breathing version of that edgy fourteen year old. It was kind of cringy in every sense of the word, but I still get a sense of nostalgia from some of the music. I then imagined showing Alfonse and Sharena my old photos and I giggled at how I imagined them to react. Though, I would never show it to Anna. It was already bad enough that they were floating around my facebook page back home, I didn't need Anna trying to sell photos of my awkward teenaged self dressed in full black complete with a spiked collar, black makeup, and belt chains to the rest of the Order. I literally looked like I was going to join the Black Parade or like I was pacing the pews in a church corridor ala Panic At the Disco back then.

My nostalgia trip didn't last very long however, and I got another knock on my door. It was Soren. Of. Freaking. Course. This guy… is like my arch rival and he can be extremely infuriating when he wants to be. Most of the time he acts like a jerk to me. In some weird twist of irony, I also respected him for his tactical prowess and for his loyalty and devotion to Ike. I'm dead serious, this guy knows everything about Ike. Ike probably doesn't even know Ike more than Soren does. He also likes shove the fact that he is the better tactician right to my face all the time.

"Hello, Soren. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" I asked as politely as I could while using my customer service voice.

"Kiran… what in the world are you listening to? It's so awful it's giving me a headache." he complained.

"Ugh… fine! Siri play 'Despacito' on ITunes" I barked at my Iphone. Siri, being my loyal assistant, obliged without a single complaint. The song starts and Soren just looks at me like he was in actual physical pain.

"Turn that damned thing off!" he snarled. I paused the song. I know it was petty of me to act like this, but damn.

"Alright. No music, no distractions. Im taking it that the purpose of your visit was not to talk about rainbows and kittens?" I ask semi seriously.

"You know exactly what I'm here for Kiran. Stop overworking Ike."

"Oh that's what's been bothering you? Dont worry about it. Ike is a good man and a good warrior so I'm giving him the week off. I might extend his offtime later, but for now I have a few heroes covering for him."

Soren looked at me like I had been possessed by the devil or something. He legitimately didn't believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. "But…when did you do that?"

"Well ever since I've started working with you, you've mentioned a few quirks Ike has and I've started to notice them too. Like that twitchy eye thing he does subconsciously when he is not feeling well. I may not be the best tactician, but I do my best to make sure that Heroes are well taken care of. I don't care how good Ike is. If he's not feeling well, I'm not going to field him."

"So you've actually paid attention? I'm almost impressed, Kiran."

"I'm not a monster, Soren. I respect Ike wholeheartedly. I respect your dedication to him. I still have a lot to learn, but I think I am much better than from when I started. I couldn't have done it without the support of my fellow tacticians. Mock me if you want, but I am going to be the best tactician in Askr. You cannot stop me" I say adamantly.

"You have a long journey ahead of you, then. I am the superior tactician here and I won't be weighed down by 'bonds'."

"I will reject that line of thinking, and substitute my own. Ike is a good example of how bonds can strengthen people. I doubt that you would think of him as weighing you down and yet, your relationship with Ike is stronger than steel."

Soren pauses for a moment and then he scowls at me. I smirked at him knowingly. I had won this round. I was about to gloat when Eír arrived at the scene with a sealed envelope in her hand.

"Kiran, King Gustav sent me to give you this. When you're finished with it, report directly to him"

"Ah yes, perfect timing Eír! I'm in a real bind but this should make things better… I think." I said optimistically as I slowly opened the letter.

Upon reading the letter, I could feel myself grow pale. The undead army had grown thrice in size, and a new plan needed to be drawn immediately. It was quite challenging to contain the enemy to the gateway while also trying keep the amount of allied deaths to a minimum, but I was doing everything I could. I quickly scrambled around my room grabbing various items like parchment paper, ink bottles, and feather pens. I honestly wish I still had my bic ballpoint pens, but I had ran out of ink in all of my pens and the technology to make the pens probably wouldn't be available until about a few centuries in the future. It's kind of crazy how much I took certain technologies for granted until I arrived in Askr.

Warm baths? Those had to be boiled in a cauldron over a roaring fire… and then dumped into the bathtub. Climate control? If your ass wasn't covered in blankets huddled next to a fireplace, then winter in the castle was freezing. In the summer? No air conditioning. I'm more used to the heat, but I would prefer to not die of heat stroke thank you very much. I've even tried to make my own food here on several occasions but the kitchens in the castle are completely different from home. I honestly missed my gas stove.

Anyway, I began to hastily draw the plans with my quill with varying results. There were areas were the ink would come out in splotches, but most of it was legible enough to understand. I then rushed to the barracks and grabbed my main cavalry team. I then grabbed a horse of my own and started to head out. Before I could leave, I could hear a voice calling out for me, followed by the sound of hooves head in my direction.

"Kiran! Waaaaaiiiittt! What's going on?" Alfonse shouted out as he rode up on his white horse. It was odd seeing him ride on it because the only time I've seen him ride a horse to battle was during the spring festival tournaments.

"Alfonse! Why are you following me? Shouldn't you be resting?" I was quite surprised that Alfonse even knew I was out mobilizing the Four Riders.

"I'm not going to watch as you go out on your own without protection, Kiran! Besides you haven't answered my question yet!"

"The gate needs reinforcements so I'm directing the cavalry to take on key areas and push the enemy back." I answered quickly

"Kiran please just go back! We need you to rest at the Order!" He pleaded

"I can't! My hands are tied on this. His Majesty's orders!" I replied

Alfonse didn't look too happy with the answer I gave him, but he knew I couldn't just ignore orders. His face was practically riddled with worry. I appreciated the sentiment, but I really wished he would just go back to his chambers and rest. I may be a big target without a weapon, but I could've just assigned someone else to be my guard.

"Darn it! Fine, but I'm not leaving you out there by yourself! I'm coming whether you want me to or not!"

I sighed as I realized that his stubborn streak was rearing its ugly head at me. There were times where his stubbornness was an asset, but other times it meant that I had to rein him in. Unfortunately, I knew there was no way he was going to listen to me this time.

"Alright… Fine. You can come but you can't join the fighting. You are to stick with me and basically be my prince charming in shining armor. Do not engage anyone unless they are attacking me, got it?"

"Alright, that's fair enough. I'll protect you with all I've got." Alfonse smiled

"You know, if you wanted an excuse to get out of the castle, just ask next time. Im sure I could arrange something for us to do." I lightly teased.

"T-that's not true! I just want to make sure that you stay safe, Kiran. You asked me to a few days ago! " Alfonse blushed

"Oh right… I guess I did say that. You have Folkvangr on you, right?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I carry my sword with me?" Alfonse looked at me with exasperation.

"Last time I saw you on a horse, you were smacking people at the spring tournament around with a giant spoon. I just wanted to make sure you had the proper equipment on you." I joked.

"Kiran that was just one time. Sharena insisted that we use fake weapons instead, remember?"

"Yeah, that she did. Where is she anyway? She would love to stand on guard with us." I ask Alfonse.

"I… I am not sure. She sort of just ran off to one of the watchtowers and said she had something important she needed to do." Alfonse's face scrunched up as he said this

* * *

Sharena sneezed as she watched her brother and the Summoner. Alongside her was the resident yaoi fangirl and shipper Nina, who was furiously writing notes on everything they've been observing. Normally, she wasn't into watching a guy and girl interacting but this was one straight ship she definitely wanted to see set sail. Sharena also shared the sentiment and in fact had been the one nudging her brother to spend even more time with Kiran.

"When do you think they'll do it?" Nina asked dreamily

"Aren't we skipping the other steps? Obviously they will wait until marriage! Or at least I would hope so if they do finally get together. Not even my brother is reckless enough to do that sort of thing before getting married!"

"That's not as interesting though. Besides, I've been picking up on her body language and stuff. She is definitely into him and I'm putting my money on it." Nina grinned whilst still writing in her little black book.

"I don't wanna imagine them doing that though. Trust me, if you had a sibling, you wouldn't want to imagine them getting physical with anyone. It's kind of disturbing. I just think that they would be a cute couple and it would be cool to have Kiran as a sister-in-law." Sharena grimaced slight.

"You do know that even if Kiran wasn't interested in Alfonse, he is still the crown prince, right? He would still have to marry and have children eventually. The people are going to want to see him marry a princess right? Right now that leaves four, maybe five other people and all of them except Fjorm would be unrealistic. Two of them are or have been against Askr in the past and Ylgr… she is still a bit too young I think. Not to mention that Eír is currently our prisoner. That leaves Fjorm as the most likely candidate. But we both know that it wouldn't work between them."

"I agree but it all depends on Alfonse. I've been keeping tabs on my brother and Kiran for years though and they fit each other like a glove. But if he doesn't like her in that way, then I- " Sharena stopped mid sentence when she noticed some enemy troops heading straight for her brother and her Summoner. "Nina! I need you to grab the nearest pegasus knight you can find and send them after Kiran! There is a troop of enemies headed their way and Kiran cant fight!"

"Alright, but the next meeting will be at the same time and place got it?"

"Ok, just hurry! We have no time to waste!"

Nina nodded and ran off to go harass as many fliers as she could find. It would all be worth it in the end in her mind. There was no way she was going to pass up this writing opportunity that Kiran and Alfonse presented to her unwittingly.

* * *

"Damn it! I'm doing all I can but I don't know if the knights can hold the line for much longer." I shouted over the sounds of swords clashing and magic… magicking. I instinctively pulled out Briedablik as I heard the sound of flapping wings heading right for us.

"Kiran! Prince Alfonse! Princess Sharena has sent us to aid you. There are enemies headed to your location right now." It was Catria of the Macedonian Whitewings. Her sisters Palla and Est were flying with her as well. I grimaced knowing that the enemy would show up in two short minutes if what they say was true.

"We'll have to stand our ground. There's no time to run and I have to stay put anyway. Alfonse stay with me. Palla, I need you to pick off anyone headed from the North. Catria, I want you to go south. Est, I want you to head east. I want all of you to be extra careful of the archers. There have been more of them lately, so exercise extreme caution as you move forward"

"No problem! We've got you covered, Summoner!" Est cheered before rushing towards her assigned post. Her two older sisters shouted out at her to not get over excited but before they knew it, she was gone.

"I'll send someone else after her in a bit. You guys go on ahead." I ordered.

Palla and Catria looked like they were about to protest, but they held their tongues and reluctantly went to the north and south respectively. Alfonse also seemed uncomfortable with my decision as well, but was looking at me to explain myself.

"Al, we can't hesitate right now. All we can do right now is summon someone to go after her. Cover me while I perform the rite" I said as I dismounted my horse and loaded Breidablik with colorless orbs. I was hoping to get a healer of some sort onto field. Preferably a troubadour, so that they can cover more ground and heal Est right away in case her over eagerness got herself hurt.

"Alright. I've got you covered." Alfonse said as he readied his blade.

I shoot the first orb out and a sudden gust of wind began to blow into my face. The wind knocks the hood off of me and my coat fluttered dramatically. Whatever I was summoning must have been a powerful hero. Or… so I had thought. Instead, I had managed to summon Mist. Mist, while a healer and generally a sweet girl, was not a very strong person even amongst other healers. However, I wasn't one to complain since I sort of did just get what I had wanted. I gave Mist the rundown of everything that has happened and pointed in the direction Est went. I lent her my horse so she could find Est faster. Mist then thanked me before she rode off to find the youngest whitewing.

"Kiran do you want to ride with me for the time being? I'd feel better if you'd stick close to me." Alfonse asked as I watched my horse disappear off to the distance. She was such a pretty horse too. She was white with brown spots speckled all over her body and it made me a bit sad to see her go. Unfortunately, this was war and I couldn't afford to be selfish when the lives of innocent Askrans were in danger. However, the thought of sharing a horse with Al and clinging onto him got me all fired up on the inside and suddenly, I wasn't as upset about seeing Slow Dancer leave. Don't get me wrong, I was still upset that I had to give her up, but I couldn't help but feel giddy when he offered. Though, there was one thing that slightly bothered me the more I thought about it…

"Alright, but can I ask you something Al?" I asked as I sat behind him on his white horse.

"What do you want to ask me, Kiran?"

"Well um… Is there a reason why you are being a bit… more protective of me than usual today? I mean I appreciate the concern, but now I am worried that your worried. I know that the battles have been rough, but I'm taking every precaution necessary to stay as safe as I can. I'm not going to do anything too crazy"

"I know you won't, Kiran. It's just that I… I only have one day left to live and I just want to spend it being useful. You made the Order what it is today, and if you died we wouldn't have just lost a Summoner. Everyone would lose their friend. I want you to continue running the Order without me should the curse come to pass." Alfonse paled

"I'm afraid that I will have to disincline to acquiesce to your request, Your Highness. It means no. I won't sit and watch you die like that! I cant run the Order like that… it would be too much for me to handle and I…" I couldn't bring myself to finish my sentence. If I did, then I doubt that he would able to die with no regrets. I wanted him to die blissfully unaware of how I truly felt about him. It would only serve to distract him from our goal. I mean, I don't want him dead but if I can't manage to save him, then I didn't want to unnecessarily worry him more than I already did.

"Kiran I know it's cruel of me to ask so much from you when you've done so much for me already, but I believe that the Order would be best under your leadersh-" Alfonse stopped mid sentence and his posture exuded caution.

Four enemies have arrived at the scene. A lance cavalier, a bow knight, a green mage knight and a blue refrigerator were all coming for us. I began to worry about the Whitewings because they were supposed to pick off the enemy. But the bow knight was probably the reason that some of them made their way to my location. I had another problem though. If I tried to summon another team of four, Briedablik would be pushed to the breaking point. That meant that I was stuck with only Alfonse until I could signal the cavalry team to come aid us. Alfonse was a good swordsman, but a lot of these enemy units were terrible matchups for him. Especially the blue armored knight. It was at that moment that I regretted giving his sword a triangle adept refine. I quickly changed the sacred seal he was using from brash assault 3 to brazen atk/def 3. It wasn't much, but it was something. I really needed to upgrade his toolkit to something more substantial, but it would take too long to fix at the moment.

"Alfonse I want you to avoid the blue refrigerator and lance cavalier for now. I'm going to signal for backup but in the meantime, we'll have to fend for ourselves. Do as I say and we'll live to see tomorrow. Do we have an accord Highness?" I said while lowering my own voice to avoid having the enemy hear what I'm saying.

"Sounds like a perfect plan to me, Summoner." He smiles and gives me the thumbs up.

"Good. Then lets send them back six feet under where they belong, shall we?" I grinned at him knowingly. The prince saw the glint of mischief in my eyes and he knew that this meant things were going to get interesting very quickly.

I loaded some blank orbs that I had Anna make for me specifically into Briedablik. These particular orbs were not meant for summoning heroes, but instead were designed to emit a strong burst of light. While there are few other useful applications for these specific orbs, its main purpose was to act like a Askran equivalent of an emergency signal flare. Anna charged me up the ass to make them too. Practically ate up all of my gold for an entire month. I shot one of the orbs up into the air. The resulting beam of light that was emitting from Briedablik was quite unmissable and to anyone in the Order, it was a signal for help.

I then directed Alfonse to give the green mage knight the stabby stab treatment. Even though she was probably the easiest one to go after, the green mage knight was actually quite tanky for her class and sported close counter, cancel affinity, and hone cavalry as her skills. Her gronserpent tome and her Ignis special was nothing to sneeze at either. Although Alfonse was more than able to cut her down to size, I knew that she could take a few hits before she could 'die' so to speak.

The mage charged her tome and shot a spell at us. The spectral snake form that the magic took swirled around us and bit me. It fucking bit me in the damn shoulder. It hurt like hell, but thanks to my magic training, I had built up a small resistance to magic attacks.

"KIRAN! Are you alright?"

"'Tis but a flesh wound, Milord." I said while clenching my teeth.

"We'll need to tread more carefully Kiran! That dastard…" Alfonse cursed

"Al… I'll be fine for now, but I need you to focus. The only way we are both getting out of here alive is if you listen to me, ok? I promise… I won't let go. So don't do anything rash, got it?" I said as I held onto him tighter. He still felt rather cold to the touch, but being able to hold onto him while I'm riding with him was still comforting to me. It was mildly amusing how I had two puncture wounds in my shoulder but still managed to find it in me to tell Askr's Crown Prince not to do anything stupid. For a man who seems to be so academically smart, he does stupid things that make me want to smack him at times. He's reckless to a fault and everyone in Askr knew it. His intentions are pure and genuine which is why I continued to serve under him even before I became aware of my attraction towards him.

"Alright, but on one condition… never call me Your Highness or Milord again. It sounds weird coming from you. I actually like it better when you call me by that nickname you gave me." Alfonse said while deflecting a blast of gronserpent with his sword.

"A-Al! Now's not the time for banter! Watch out for that lance cavalier!" I stuttered as I yell out.

Alfonse managed to snap out of it and he dodged the attack from the lance cavalier just in time. I ordered him to rush down the green mage so we could turn our focus to the bow cavalier. The bow cavalier was also quite tenacious with his brave bow, firing arrows faster than most archers I have been up against before. Any faster, and he could actually be an undead machine gun.

I was beginning to wish I had my actual gun, but it was at home locked in a safe. Ironically enough, the one weapon I had actually knew how to use properly is at my apartment. I can't use sword or a tome good enough to save myself but using a gun was natural for me. Not that I had ever used a gun to actually defend myself, but being a 'military brat', my father decided that it was important to teach me how to use one. I guess that's one reason that Briedablik felt so… right in my hands. It felt the same as shooting one at a shooting range, but with a few key differences. Briedablik didn't have much recoil to it and it wasn't as loud as my 9mm handgun. I only had a few hypotheses as to why it was like that, though my main guess was that less force was being applied when shooting Breidablik. Perhaps the inner firing mechanisms were different from what a conventional gun would have. I was pretty sure there was magic involved in it somehow… but that gave me more questions as to how it was made, and why it was made using this particular design.

Alfonse struck the green mage knight with his Folkvangr several times. Her left arm was severed after he had landed a successful blow on her using his special Ignis, but no blood came out. It was just lopped off of her body. The mage simply held onto her tome like it was no big deal to her. There was no blood curdling scream, just a stoic stone cold look on her face. It became quite clear to me that the bodies fighting on Hel's behalf were just empty husks. Or at they very least, not in control of their own bodies. It was kinda more disturbing to look at than when I had seen living people getting their various limbs cut off.

The green mage then retaliated against us and the spectral serpent tried to bite Alfonse. Luckily for him, his weapon type and his armor kept him safe and unharmed. The mage shot out another serpent at us powered up by a fully charged Ignis which barely missed us. Alfonse finished the job and I praised him for his work.

"Now all we need is to defeat that archer and then avoid the lance cavalier and the refrigerator."

"Tell me why do you even call them refrigerators again?" Alphonse asked me whilst fighting the bow cavalier.

"I'll tell you later! Right now you should try luring him over through the trenches over there! That should slow them down!" I pointed at the trenches that were over to the east. They looked old as if they were dug there years ago in a different war and were left largely unused afterwards. It was funny to think that trench warfare could be an actual tactic used in this world. In my world, trench warfare was commonly used in World War I when modern warfare was still in its infancy.

"Right! Got it!" Alfonse replied as he directed the horse to move towards the trenches.

"Just be careful, Al. The trenches will slow us down too since we are on a horse."

"Agreed. It seems a bit dangerous to try to maneuver in the trenches by horse though. Do we have any better options?"

"Not really, unless you want to go through the trenches by foot." I scoffed.

"Then that's what we'll do! Kiran, when we get to the the trenches, we will run through them by foot!" Alfonse declared

"Alfonse have you gone insane? They will catch up to us eventually if we do that!"

"No I've got this just trust me!"

"You better have something cooking in that brain of yours then! If I die, I'll become a general for Hel just to spite you! Make it count!" I yelled as we went straight into the trenches.

"Don't worry! I'll open the way!" He shouted as he intercepted the bow knight and began slashing at him.

I was now hiding myself in the trenches, holding onto my shoulder with my other arm. "Damn it where is Veronica and the others?" I cursed to myself.

The bow knight began to volley more arrows at me. And I managed to to dodge all but one which grazed my right ear. Great. I was still bleeding from my shoulders and the bow cav almost gave me a new ear piercing. I never thought there would be a worse way to get an ear piercing than with a piercing gun at a Claire's store. I was incorrect. I've always wanted one of those earring cuff things, but not like this. I could feel warm blood oozing down my earlobe as I gripped Briedablik in my hands. Perhaps I could've pistol whipped them back to death, but being put in a situation where people are trying to kill you while you're practically unarmed does things to you.

Alfonse quickly took Folkvangr and slashed the bow cavalier several times while he was distracted by the weaponless girl. However, the bow knight left Alfonse a parting shot that buried itself into his sword arm. Alfonse switched hands and killed the bow cavalier. It was rather clumsy, but he managed somehow. I then heard the clopping sounds of hooves headed towards us.

"MAGIC IS EVERYTHING!"

Then I hear the crackling sound of Dire Thunder exterminate the unlife of the refrigerator. This was then followed by Fredrick who told the lance cavalier to "Pick a god and pray".

"Kiran! Are you alright?" Lyn shouted as she arrived at the scene.

"Nah don't worry about me right now. Alfonse is in more need of a healer's attention than I am. He has an arrow stuck in his arm. Where is Veronica anyway?"

"Don't worry about me. If something bad happens to Kiran, then it'll be bad news for everyone. Fix her up first instead" Alfonse said as his stubborn streak rears its head.

"I'm not that important. I'm just the tactician you're the Crown Prince. Your safety is more important!"

Brave Veronica then showed up out of nowhere and used Hliđsjálf to bonk both me and Alfonse in the head. She then rips the arrow straight out of Al's arm and heals the both of us. I guess she just wanted to get straight to the point.

"Princess Veronica is right, you were both being over zealous. It's important to care for each other, but arguing over who should get healed first is ridiculous." Lyn said while still on her horse.

"I'm just trying to make sure Al is well taken care of and protected. I know that I am being a bit selfish but I…" I stopped myself from finishing the sentence. I was just three words away from admitting to everyone that I am in love with the dying prince. It was best that no one knew since Hel was going to collect him tomorrow.

"Kiran? Is there something you're not telling us?" Freddy Bear asked

"It's not important right now. My goal is to keep Hel's army contained. How is everything on that front?"

The Four Riders grimaced. Partly because I didn't answer the question, but mostly because the answer to my question wasn't all too positive. Reinhardt cleared his throat and then he spoke.

"Lady Kiran, we are currently at a stalemate but the defensive line is going to burst at any moment. Thanks to your plans, the knights are suffering less casualties than before. However, the enemy army is still rapidly expanding and there's only so much we can do. We have been taking out hundreds of enemies between the four us and while it seems to relieve some of the pressure we need more Heroes on the field."

"Thank you for the information, Reinhardt. I think we should keep our forces mobile for now and strike where they are weakest. I will focus on forming a brigade of Heroes to send in the meantime."

I then quickly wrote down my next set of orders for the knights captains to follow on a paper, using Al's back as a solid writing surface. I then waited for the ink to dry before rolling it up into a scroll and handing to them Frederick. The White Wings regrouped back and brought Mist and Slow Dancer back with them. Mist gave her back to me and Est thanked me for sending Mist to help her. Things were not great, but it was little things like this that made me glad to serve in the Order. I motioned for Alfonse to head back to Order to help me make preparations for the next battle.

**A/N: Hi guys, it's me again. I would like to thank those of you that have been patient with me for the past two weeks. I usually update on Mondays late at night, but since I had actually ran out of prewritten chapters, I've been trying to write more of them so I can go back a semi regular upload schedule. I wont strictly stick a schedule, since I prefer quality to quantity in my writing, and the schedule exists more to keep me from procrastinating too much. Anyway I may start updating every other Monday instead to give me much more time to write. Also, if there is anything I wrote in this chapter that is wrong about stuff like modern warfare, trench warfare, and just the inner workings of guns in general, just give me a polite critique in the review section and I'll try to fix it. I'm not an expert in these subjects and doing google searches can only do so much for you. Think book knowledge vs practical knowledge. Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed everything so far. Also I would like to thank my boyfriend Mellodic Mellodi for unofficially beta reading these for me and helping me come up with stuff whenever I get stuck. Also...Pugi pugi pugi pugi pugi**


	7. Viva la Vida

The royal palace in Askr was even more opulent than the castle we used in the Order. I thought I saw everything when I was in the castle, as Anna had made it a point to basically deck the castle with lots of bells and whistles, but I was quickly proven wrong. I was quite nervous as I was in the palace by myself. I was strictly forbidden to bring Alfonse or Sharena with me for this visit. I was to meet with King Gustav as soon as I was finished with the last assignment he gave me. The final plan was going to discussed today and I had a few ideas written down. However, I had a feeling that His Highness had other plans that he wished to run by me.

I marched myself over the entrance to the throne room, which was guarded by a pair of knights. They basically interrogated me like I was a god damned criminal even though I had brought physical proof that I was authorized to be there. They claimed that I was suspicious looking and shit because I was wearing my hood up. They also called me sir a few times despite my voice and face being very feminine. Perhaps they thought I was just a stereotypical gay boy? In which case, they had only gotten it half correct. I had dated two girls before in my past but that shouldn't be preventing me from freaking meeting up with Al's dad. I pulled my hood down to show them that, yes, I am in fact a woman and would like to be addressed as such.

"Now can you let me through? I have job to do and I'm wasting precious seconds arguing with you because apparently according to you, I'm not allowed to come here. I have His Majesty's seal and signature right here. I literally couldn't have forged or stolen this even if I tried." I have never been so irritated with someone so dense that they could make diamonds in their ass.

"That's what they all say, Lady" one of them says with an excess of verbal venom

"Yeah come to the palace without Alfonse he says… Jesus Christ, I am really regretting that now."

It was then my saving grace, Henriette showed up. "Why hello there Kiran, It's nice to see you! Has anyone told you that you have a very pretty face?"

"Oh hello Your Highness! I'm afraid that I seldom hear that. More people seem to focus more on my boyish figure. Lots of people mistake me for a young boy if I'm not wearing bright pink dresses or something. I'm very flattered that you think so." My face turned to a light pink in embarrassment. Everytime I talk to Henriette, I feel more and more like I'm talking to Sharena.

The guards just stood there baffled by my overall casual banter with the Queen. I guess me knowing the Royal family was a shock to them. It really shouldn't have been, since I told them exactly who I was, what the purpose of my visit was, and the physical proof should've have let me in.

"You two can let her in. Kiran is our tactician in training and His Highness doesn't like being kept waiting." Henriette said with a wink.

"Y-yes Your Highness! We'll let her in right away!"

"Thank you, Your Highness. I am in your debt"

"No it's I that owes you. You already do so much for the Order and Askr. You even help my son keep his head on straight. He's a smart boy, but he can be a bit headstrong sometimes. I always worry about him."

"That's nothing. I'm just doing it because they are my friends. If meeting with King Gustav will help me save Alfonse then I'll do it"

"You don't owe me anything, Kiran. As a mother, that's all I could ever hope for. I'll be praying for your success" Henriette then quietly excused herself.

I honestly, don't know why the Queen had been so interested in me. I'm not that great and it's not like I'm doing all of this because I have this sense of duty to the kingdom. I'm doing this entirely for my own selfish reasons. If it weren't for Al and Sharena, I probably wouldn't have stuck around for very long. Of course there's Anna as well but, my friendship with her can be a bit shaky at times. Even if I get along with her most days, there are days where a dark part of me just wants to blame all of my problems on her. She was the one who pulled me into this world in the first place, afterall. I have mostly forgiven her, but I feel as though my resentment hasn't been fully resolved yet. I hated it too, because I want to fully forgive her. It was kinda silly that I have fully forgiven Al and Sharena for being in on what was essentially my trans dimensional kidnapping, but not Anna. In fact, I had forgiven the two royal siblings long before I had realized that I had a thing for the prince.

It just felt odd that she was being so nice to me when we've barely known each other. I've known her for only about a week. In my mind, I kept telling myself that I have no reason to feel this way. Queen Henriette was kind and ernest just like her daughter. Not everyone has a hidden agenda, after all.

I took a deep breath and I went inside the throne room. I put my hood up and walked over to throne where King Gustav sat. I knelt before him since I felt that it was probably the appropriate thing to do. Despite being around plenty of Heroes from Royal families everyday, I wasn't used to interacting with them on a more formal level. I usually talked to them like I would talk to my friends. It seemed put them at ease. That was not the case here, since Gustav did not adopt the "befriend everyone you meet" approach that Sharena did. He was more cautious and definitely was more of a no nonsense kind of person. I could sometimes see traces of Gustav's personality in Alfonse. If I were to believe Henriette however, and I had no reason not to, then Alfonse was almost exactly like Gustav when he was younger.

"Your Highness… I arrived as soon as I could. I have a few plans ready for your approval. However, these are all assuming where Hel woul-"

"There's a missing piece to all of your plans."

"H-how… did you?"

"I have arrived at the same conclusion that you have. No matter what you tried, the outcome is always the same."

"Your Highness… I refuse. I know exactly what you're implying. I've been wondering for these past few days why you are putting me through all these assignments… and that's when it hit me. You had your answer already from the start. You wanted me to figure it out on my own but… what I think you are asking me… is cruel." I say the last sentence softly.

"This is war Kiran. You cannot hesitate. It is a sacrifice that must be made to win this and you know it. This is your final test. With my life as your gambit, you will lay down the path to Askr's victory. I trust that you will keep my son from doing anything too rash once I'm gone."

"Your Highness! You are asking me to send you off to be slaughtered! This isn't right! Your blood will be on my hands once this is over!" I cried out in protest

"I'm not asking you. I'm ordering you to come up with a strategy and use my life as the 'Hail Mary' that you've been so desperately looking for. Furthermore, you will not tell my son and daughter anything about this. Not even after we execute the plan." Gustav's voice growled.

"I understand that to in order to save Alfonse, we need someone to take his place. At least that is what it's looking like anyway… but you're telling me that you are going to purposefully march to your grave and you're pulling me into this. There's still time to figure out a way to save him without his father becoming a martyr!"

"Kiran. We have been through this before. Someone is going to have to die. Hel will come to collect him and the curse targets the blood of Askr. The only way Alfonse is getting out alive is if I take his place. We mustn't waste anymore time. I've haven't much longer for this…"

"...Fine. I'll do it. It pains me so much because… I know how much you mean to your family. I'll do it for Alfonse. I believe in him. He'll become King and he'll make you proud. I will support him every step of the way. I…" I was beginning to choke on my own words and hot tears were streaming down my face.

Why did I cry for this man? I mean… it wasn't as if we were close and it wasn't like I was going to be the one to actually kill him. That would be Hel's handiwork. However, it felt like I was the would-be murderer of my own best friend's father. It was something that weighed on me heavily. I had to do it. He just wanted to do what was best for his son and I should respect his wishes. I should accept that in war, there are always sacrifices. Had my Dad been in his shoes, he would die for his family too. I wiped my face dry.

"A person like you doesn't belong on the battlefield. There will always be death and sacrifice. Why do you continue? You don't have to stay in the Order. I could open a gate your world if you wished…" Gustav's eyes bored into my own and for a moment… they pitied me too.

"I ask myself that everyday, Your Highness. I never wanted this and yet… I can't just leave either. It's the bonds that I share with Alfonse, Sharena, Anna and everyone in the Order of Heroes that tether me here to this world. My loyalties are to Alfonse and Sharena and no one else. You… you...are playing with my emotions like a goddamn play toy! I'm not a goddamn china doll who'll break if anyone ever so much as looks at me funny!" I then gasped and cover my mouth as I realized that I shouldn't have done that.

Gustav's expression was as stone cold as always, but I knew that he was very displeased with my outburst. I panicked and started to rapidly apologize up and down. It really did piss me off for him to play with my heart like this but I should've known better than to talk back at him like that.

"That's enough. If you are so adamant on staying here, you must heed the final words and wishes of a dying father. Accept your final task and guide my son to his rightful place."

"Of course, Your Majesty. It's actually quite a simple change to my plan. I'll need you to handle the knights and I'll take care of the Order. We'll meet up in the fated spot and when I give the signal… you know what to do."

"Good. I will send a servant to escort you back to the Order. You are dismissed for today. " Gustav says gruffly.

I looked into his eyes one last time before taking my leave. I couldn't find one trace of fear in them. Either he did not fear his own death and had already made peace with that fact, or he was wearing the meanest poker face I've had ever laid my eyes upon. Either way, it did little to comfort me. Tomorrow I was going to be a part of an assisted suicide plan to save the man I fell in love with. It was the cruelest twist of irony I've ever seen. It was enough to send chills down my spine.

"Excuse me, would you happen to be Lady Kiran?" Asked a maid with long dark red hair.

"Lady? I'm afraid I don't have a title here. Just Kiran would do just fine, I think. Are you the one escorting me tonight?" I ask. I was slightly confused by the slowly increasing amount of people within the royal guard calling me Lady. It has been going on for a few days and I was genuinely concerned. The King and Queen have named me as Alfonse's official tactician. Well I am apparently still a trainee but this was to be my last and final test before I would fully earn that job. I was in no way, shape, or form Askran nobility so being called Lady seemed way too extra.

The maid nodded. "The King has assigned me to be your guard for tonight. Are we ready to depart for the Order of Heroes, Lady Kiran?" The maid said in a very formal and professional manner while completely ignoring my request. I guess she preferred to speak with a certain degree of propriety whether or not it was asked for.

"Not until I know the name of my guide for tonight's trip. If we find ourselves running into the enemy, it would be easier for me to coordinate an escape plan if I could call for you."

"My name is Antonia, Lady Kiran."

"I like it. It rolls off tongue nice and smooth. Well then Antonia, lead the way"

We then headed towards the stables where Slow Dancer was waiting for me. Antonia mounted herself on top of a midnight black horse and we sped off into the night towards the Order of Heroes. The trip went without a hitch and upon our arrival, I offered to arrange a room for her to stay the night. She reluctantly agreed since it was close to midnight and I began to lead her to one of the empty rooms. I was then greeted by Sharena and Alfonse.

"Hey Kiran… You're back. How did everything go?" Alfonse asked while yawning.

"I can't really talk about it, but it seems that they are putting me in charge of tactics for the whole Kingdom after we defeat Hel. The King has been testing me for the whole week. Ever notice how much more efficient and effective the royal army is than before? That was my handiwork." I'm not usually one to brag, but I was proud of my recent accomplishments. I worked extremely long and hard hours to get everything to run as smooth as possible. There were a lot of experimental strategies that I had to implement to stay on top. However, it was hard to stay silent about tomorrow's plans. Nobody was to know about the King's plan and I am the only one besides Gustav and Henriette that knows about it.

"I knew you could do it Kiran! I'm always rooting for you of course." Sharena giggled.

"I understand that you are happy for Lady Kiran, but you should all go to bed. The next battle is going to happen soon. Everyone needs to rest, especially you Lord Alfonse. You have the entire kingdom in an uproar right now."

"Hello, Tonia. It's been awhile since we've last met. You were Kiran's escort today I take it?" Alfonse asked, apparently having known this maid previously. Antonia simply nodded.

Sharena gave Tonia a big royal bear hug. Tonia seemed to be uncomfortable but also used to it. They've definitely met before.

"Lady Sharena… I… need air…!" She gasped

"Hey Alfonse… care to explain why Sharena is strangling Antonia? It's obvious that you both know each other but… can you fill me in?" I asked

"Tonia is the best maid in Askr. She used to be Sharena's maid before the Order of Heroes was established. I'm glad Father sent her with you. I was worrying about you earlier when you went all the way to the palace by yourself. Now that you're here with Tonia, I can rest much easier knowing that you are well protected. Her skill with a dagger is quite impressive."

Sharena let Antonia out of her hug. Antonia was gasping for air but eventually she curtsied. "I happy to hear such high praise from you Milord. It's an honor."

I yawned, having had next to no sleep the for past few days. Managing two separate armies was exhausting and demanded that I spend much of my time awake. Alfonse looked at me and noticed the dark eye circles and baggy eyelids.

"Kiran you should go rest. You look like you've never slept in your entire life. I'm going to have to speak with Father to make sure you aren't getting overworked."

"You owe me a vacation after I save your royal butt from Hel. I'm in desperate need to recharge myself. Maybe catch up on some sleep at least."

"I will grant it to you in a heartbeat, Kiran. The Aether Resort is almost finished so I am sure it'll be a good spot to unwind."

"I will definitely consider checking it out. There are a lot of things I want to do… Mostly I just want to go to the beach again. I miss being able to feel the sand in between my toes and the salty breeze caress my face. Though the people here are far better than in Hawaii. Certainly they are much nicer than the ones back home." A wave of homesickness washed over me once more as it had done several times before.

Lots of things in Hawaii sucked, but my old man had a house there and we had a small stretch of land that was mostly unmarred by people. It was a private retreat in which I could just quietly stare at the scenery. My dad was extremely career driven and so when he was forced to retire from the army due to age, he went around and ended up doing work for a large corporation. His obsession with work made him rich but it left me without a father to rely on outside of money. I rarely got to see him or mom once Kaiden was old enough to handle the day to day operations of the house and I was starting high school. I had some good memories of home, though most of them were just of me hanging out with Kaiden. I honestly missed the father that I had grew up listening to hard rock with, but he was eventually replaced by someone who only looked like him. I had often wondered what changed him but never had the courage to ask him.

"Are you thinking about your home again Kiran?" Sharena asked

"Yeah… home… I guess I'm just a little homesick. It'll pass eventually I think…"

In a way, going home sounds heavenly compared to the actual hell we were going through to orchestrate Alfonse's survival. No pressure to dirty my hands with the blood a king, no glowing skeleton people, just a peaceful normal everyday existence. Gustav's words echoed in my mind. I shook my head at myself and pushed those thoughts aside. Im neck deep in this mess and quitting right now would be disastrous for everyone else involved. I found myself avoiding eye contact with the prince and princess standing before me. In a few hours, their father will cease to live and I was the only one in the room who knew.

"Kiran, you don't look so good. Please let me escort you to your room. It may be the last thing I can do for you." Alfonse offered

I briefly considered declining the offer. I didn't want to hear him talk about his last wishes after all I was doing to keep him tethered to living world. He couldn't have known of course, but I didn't know how much more heartbreak I could take. I decided to go along with the request, however. Even if it was hard to face him right now, I craved for his company and support all the same.

"I will gladly accept your offer, Al. I have a lot on my mind and talking to you and Sharena makes me feel a little better. The only thing I will ask for in return, is for Sharena to guide Antonia the rest of the way to her temporary quarters."

"Pppfftt! Please! I was always going to do that. She and I have a lot to catching up to do anyway. You and Al go on right ahead." She winked at me before animatedly dragging the maid towards her room.

We both exchanged looks of confusion before he shrugged it off and guided me back to my room. It was an awkward and silent journey, but it was preferable to being alone. When we finally arrived at my room, I began to feel the tears slowly dribble down my face. I couldn't help it. It felt like I was saying goodbye to him for the last time.

"Hey Al, could I ask you for something? It's kinda silly but…"

"Ask away. You know that I am more than happy to help you whenever I can."

"Well… I um… I was wondering… would it be ok if you stayed with me just a little while longer? I afraid that my plans for tomorrow might not work out and... " I honestly could barely believe the words that were coming out of my own mouth. My entire face was turning into a bright crimson red.

"You want to spend time with me before I die right? I understand. I was thinking the same thing, actually. We both know there's a high chance that even with our best laid plans, the curse would finally kill me. I don't care what others will say… I just want to spend my last minutes with my best friend. So… I will stay with you for as long as you want."

"R-really? Are you sure that this is what you want? I mean… if you don't care what anyone thinks about this… then I guess I don't either. I'm more scared of you dying than anything else right now. I don't want to lose you to that _woman_. We both promised to protect each other right? Then this is no different than that!"

"I am sure of it. I want to spend my last hours with you. If the worst comes to pass, then I'd at least die happily knowing that I've spent my time sharing my last with the person I trust the most." Alfonse smiled softly

"So… then is that an order then?" I asked jokingly

"No. It is a request from a friend."

"Then that's good enough for me. Lemme open the door for you" I say as I held the door to my open for him

"Thanks, Kiran. You're far too kind."

I laughed "Ha! That's rich considering that I'm the one who came up with this little get together in the first place. I'm doing this because I want to. Anyway, how many pillows do you want on the bed?"

"You're not sleeping in your own bed, Kiran?" Alfonse winced

"Nope I got a comfortable armchair and a foot rest over there that I can sleep on."

"How about you take the bed and I get the armchair? I refuse to let you sleep poorly after all you've been through because of my mistake."

"Oh no you dont! It wouldn't be proper for a hostess to force her guest in a chair. You get the bed."

"Beauty before age" Alfonse shot back in attempt to get me to sleep in my own bed tonight

"Good then that means you get the bed and I will sleep in the chair!"

"That's not what I meant Kiran!" Al blushed after I had basically called him a beauty inadvertently.

"Im two years older than you, you doofus!"

"O-oh that's right… but I'm still not forcing you to sleep in that chair!"

"You're going to have to pry the chair out of my cold dead hands!" I say as I grabbed a pillow to assault him with.

"Not if I can help it! The order needs to have it's summoner fully rested for tomorrow!" He said as he grabbed his own pillow and began to walk towards me.

"Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of going to bed, you are coming right to me?" I said as I posed dramatically.

"I can't get you to sleep if I don't come closer"

"Oh ho! Then come as close as you like!" I taunted. I pitied the prince… he didn't know that I was a seasoned veteran of the pillow wars back home. I had perfected the techniques and strategies so that my failure at the battle of Arizona would not be repeated again.

The fight began in earnest as we smacked each other around with the pillows. I think I got too into roleplaying the Dio versus Jotaro fight thing though, because I was saying "Muda" a lot. The only thing that would have made it better is if he said "Ora ora ora!" However, the fight ended in a draw, and we both collapsed on top of my bed after exhausting each other out. We both fell asleep in each other's arms without fully realizing it, but it was the most peaceful I had ever slept.

**A/N: Hey it's me again... yeah I didnt expect to be dropping an another A/N so soon, but I do have an announcement of sorts. I have updated previous chapters to have actual line breaks instead of those visually jarring transition place holders I had used before. This also means I'll go back to using transitions in future chapters. Also Im kinda digging all the new info that is out for Three Houses. If Dorethea becomes summonable in feh Im totally having Kiran screaching in "Is ThAt A mUtHa FoOkInG JoJo ReFeReNcE?" and everyone just looks at her like "dafuq she talking about?"**


	8. Operation Checkmate

I woke up in bed with my head resting on Alfonse's chest. I could hear his steady heartbeat, which was oddly calming for me to listen to. It meant that he was alive and I felt an odd sense of security from it. He was still ice cold to the touch but I was not fully aroused from the lull of slumber so I didn't move from that spot for several minutes. After a few more minutes had passed, I suddenly jolted up out of bed after realizing that we both fell asleep on the bed together last night. I blushed and covered my face from the embarrassment. I honestly would've died if I were missing articles of clothing, but I knew that we didn't do that together. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I had. It would've felt like I was taking advantage of Al while he was in the vulnerable state that he was in. It wouldn't have been a decision made rationally.

I sneaked a peek at the sleeping prince. He just seemed so peaceful when he slept. It was quite adorable, actually. I sat back down on my bed and gently propped his head on my lap. I carefully ran my fingers through his soft hair until his eyelids began to flicker open.

"Mmmhh… not now Mother… five more minutes…" Alfonse groaned as he tossed himself to sleep on his side.

I chuckled while still petting his hair "Alfonse you have to wake up, we've overslept. We've got a battle to win."

"But… I don't want to… Im scared…"

"Al, please wake up or I will make you. I need you to get up before something happens."

Al's eyes quickly opened up and he shot himself out of bed. He frantically looked around and slowly he realized what was happening. He looks at me with a mixture of terror and embarrassment.

"K-Kiran! What are you doing? Weren't you sleeping on the bed?"

"We both did. Besides… I thought I was Mom now?" I teased him

"K-K-Kiran! Please don't say it like that! I wasn't-" His face was turning into a deep shade of red

"Dont worry about it, Al. I won't say anything about it to anyone. It'll be our secret." I winked

"G-good… It's just so…"

"Embarrassing? Don't worry about it. Henriette is a wonderful woman and I'm flattered. Now get up. You need to fix that hair of yours. We can't have the crown prince going out to battle with it looking like a rat's nest." I mimicked the tone my own mother would use on me whenever I had bed hair.

"Can you fix that for me then? I don't have a mirror or a brush on me."

"Who do you think I am? A maid? Come over here while I grab a brush for you" I dug into one of my drawers in my dresser and grabbed a wooden comb

Alfonse moved himself to be closer to me like I had asked before. He chuckled at my fussing over his hair and such. I guess he thought it amusing that my first concern at that moment was his hair. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is something funny? I'll have you know that I'm helping you because I want to, not because I'm obligated to." I say while I combed his unruly hair back into his usual hair style.

"I-It's nothing… Mother would fuss over me like this when I was younger too."

"Again, I am flattered. Just remember that I am your friend, and not your mother. I don't think I would make for a good replacement for Queen Henriette." I said poking fun at him after I had finished fixing his hair.

"I wouldn't want you to… Mother is Mother and you are you."

I handed him a hand mirror that I had used for fixing my own hair. He checked it and he seemed to be satisfied with my handiwork. I then snatched the mirror from his hand and grabbed a bristle brush and violently raked my long brunette hair with it until it resembled something resembling halfway decent. I put my hair up in a ponytail and then I hid my hair underneath my usual hood. Alfonse just looked at me like he had just witnessed the cold blooded murder of some random guy on the street.

"There. You go on ahead for now. I need to get changed into some clean clothes."

Alfonse nodded and excused himself from my room. I was then forced to face the cold hard truth. Today, Gustav will die by Hel's hand. That was the best case scenario at least. In the event that the plan goes awry, the worst case scenario would be that both Alfonse and Gustav die. I don't know how I would handle such a loss when I could barely raise my metaphorical weapon against King Gustav. Honestly, a part of me still doesn't like him too much, but in the past week that I've come to know him, I knew that he cares deeply about his family and Askr. He has Alfonse's best interests at heart and by sacrificing himself, he is fulfilling his role as King. He trusts Al and so do I.

I take my off my clothes and changed into a white tank top with a black pleated skirt, black tights and black knee high combat boots. After I had put my regular Order clothes on my bed for the castle maids to wash, I put my coat back on and head towards the library. The library has become the unspoken meeting spot for the two us. We always had our noses inside of books when we weren't busy, so it's the first place we look if we are looking to find each other. In the meantime, I was left to stew in the awkward mixture of emotions that I was forced to deal with. I was happy because I got to share a bed with Al, even if it wasn't intentional. On the other hand, I'm panicking because I knew what was coming and I was mourning the future loss of either the King or Al. I was riding the non-stop round trip train of emotional turmoil. Choo-Choo mother fuckers!

I eventually found my way to the library doors and took the liberty of inviting myself in. I frequent the library so much that Alfonse gave me a copy of the key. I'm practically the second librarian in the castle after Al. I walked in to find both Gustav and Al speaking with each other. I really didn't want a repeat of last time, so I didn't even bother with hiding my presence.

"I am sure you will defeat her Father, or perhaps, Kiran." Alfonse said with hope in his eyes.

"The girl you've summoned from another world? We must rely on ourselves, not on power from beyond Askr. Hel came to us from another world… Contact with other realms merely opens up new avenues for misfortunes" Gustav said almost dismissively.

Yeah. Thanks for your vote of confidence your Highness. It wasn't like I was... you know… helping you plan out your own death or anything. It legitimately pissed me off. I wondered if he had already noticed my presence and was saying these things to keep Alfonse from suspecting my true plans. Either that or he was purposefully trying to tick me off as some sort of test? Fack, I really couldn't tell you to be honest. I wasn't in the mood for such things. I grabbed a book from the shelves on beginner's magical theory and begun to quickly thumb through the pages. I wasn't really reading any of it, but I wanted to pretend to be busy.

"I understand your words, Father. Yet, I've formed a strong bond with Kiran."

"I say again- There is nothing to be gained in meddling in other worlds."

"Father… heh…" Alfonse chuckled.

"Is something amusing?" Gustav's brows furrowed.

"Ah! Im sorry. Im just reflecting on something Mother told me. She said that, in your youth, you were much like me." Alfonse smiled at his father as he probably imagined an younger version of the current king running around and saving people.

I'll admit, it was hard to imagine a young Gustav let alone running around with the same recklessness that Al had. At the same time however, knew Al must've gotten that propensity to be heroic and stuff from somewhere. Gustav must've been an enormous role model to Al. I could tell that he really looked up to his father. I don't know how Sharena saw her own father seeing as she followed more in Henriette's footsteps than Gustav's but... just the thought of what I had to do to keep things in order nearly shattered my own heart. In a few short hours, this whole family will be broken apart and I was going to be the one who shattered it. I could feel the waterworks opening the goddamn floodgates in my eyes. I used my coat sleeve to quickly wipe them away. If they finally noticed me, the last thing I needed the king to see was me crying. I agreed to do this for him, so the floodgates will just have to wait until after everything was said and done.

"Did she now? I must admit it. Wet behind the ears, I was. I traveled the realms ready for battle. I was no different than you, it is true. Yet, look at me lecturing you" Gustav said with a twinge of…. Sadness? Regret? I honestly wasn't sure. It was always hard for me to tell what the King was thinking or feeling.

"You misunderstand me, Father. I was happy that I put Mother in mind of you. As for your concern and your guidance… they mean everything to me.Yet to be able to speak so frankly with you here and now… I'm overjoyed"

The king sighed, seemingly sad and at a loss for what to say to his own son. "Alphonse…"

I clenched my fists. I felt like I shouldn't have been sitting there, listening in on the two of them once again. I was basically brown nosing in on their last heartfelt conversation and it made me look bad. Though looking bad in front of people was the least of my concerns now. I quietly set up a board of the strategy game I had been playing and sighed.

"Ah! Kiran! Im sorry... I didn't realize you were here." Alfonse's mood seemed to lighten up and Gustav took notice.

"It's fine. Actually, your father came up at just the right time. I need to speak to him privately on some important matters. Just give me about ten minutes, please. In fact, why don't you grab Tonia and ask her to make coffee for us?" I said with a forced smile.

"Alright, I'll be back shortly. You like yours black right?" Alfonse asked. He was seemingly bewildered by my request but he didn't decline it. It was two wins for me in my eyes. It gave me my chance to get in a few words with His Highness and it gave Alfonse some busy work to do. I figured that if I kept him busy, he would not much time to dwell on his impending death and make him feel like he was being useful.

"Yes. Blend #107 extra hot and bitter, please. I have been craving it for a few days now and I haven't been able to to indulge. Oh and some dark chocolate too if it's in stock right now."

Alfonse nodded and left to fetch the coffee. My attention then turned to the King who looking at me dead in the eyes… no unfortunate pun intended of course. "My apologies for sending your son away like that, Your Highness. I wish to speak with you on matters concerning… Operation Checkmate. At least, that's what I am calling it for now."

Gustav raised an eyebrow at my rather dubious and uncreative name for his death plans. Though the meaning is not entirely lost on him either. In a way if this battle were a chessboard right now, we would be in check essentially. The fact that I'm literally throwing away my king piece to win is unheard of in chess… mostly because in chess, losing your king is game over. I know that's an obvious statement to make, but it's still rather insane for me to be doing.

"How… original."

"With all due respect Your Highness, I'm creatively drained right now. The originality of the name doesn't matter for all intents and purposes. Anyway, I am deploying out the dragon vanguard team for today. If anything else, the idea of sending two death gods after Hel seems to be oddly poetic to me. When I say the word 'cake' that is when you'll swoop in and save Alfonse from his fate."

The king seemed to grimace even more at my… creative direction with the code words or whatever. Honestly, I was beginning to doubt my abilities again. I mean most of it was pretty sound. The battle formations, which areas to strike, strategic points of capture and all that fun stuff were pretty solid. Though the execution is starting to become a bit shaky if the King was not happy with it. I didn't get along with the King all that well, but in a sense, he had been my greatest teacher in tactics yet. The trials and battles that he had put me through this week had been extremely sobering for me. Of course, the possibility of Alfonse dying was also sobering for me but in terms of planning out battles, my skills have grown considerably.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm not very good at naming things. For what it's worth, I'm glad I got to work with you Your Highness. I might not be the greatest at tactics or much of anything really, but I have learned so much already."

"Meddling with other realms only leads to misfortune and yet… I must concede in the fact that you are effective at what you do. Very green around the gills, but the amount of information that you are able to soak up in such a short amount of time is quite remarkable. With the right training, you will quickly surpass your predecessor."

"The last Askran tactician? I've only read books on him. I don't much like the methods he used, but I can't deny the results of his work either. At any rate, I am happy to hear such praise from you. I cannot agree more with your assessment on me being inexperienced, however." I say in the most polite and sincere way I could. My studying sessions here proved to be very fruitful as I had learned a lot about the different tacticians that roamed the palace halls. I still have much to learn about the history of Askr, though much of the historical records were in a language I couldn't read. The history buff in me got really excited about learning how to read the old Askran language and then impress Alfonse with my impeccable knowledge of the history of Askr. I mean I would still be excited even if Alfonse wasn't around to flex on, but flexing on Alfonse is just the cherry on top of the nerd sundae for me.

"We will move forward this plan of yours, Summoner. If this plan succeeds, Alfonse will become king. I want you to keep him safe."

"I'm way ahead of you, Your Highness. While I may not know much about how to actually fight, I have at least one ninja following both Alfonse and Sharena just in case. I will do absolutely everything within my abilities to get them out of this war alive. I will say this once more… my loyalties are to Alfonse and Sharena. I will do anything to protect them. They're my friends…"

"Summoner… What is the true nature of your relationship with Alfonse?"

I was taken aback by the King's question. It was a question that seemingly came out of nowhere and I wasn't ready to answer it. "I am not sure if I fully understand what you are trying to ask me your Highness. We are friends and nothing more. "

"I will ask you this again- don't think you can worm your way out of this one Summoner."

"What makes you think that my relationship with Alfonse is any different from what I've told you? If you don't like him getting close to me because I am from another realm, then that's one thing, but I would like to believe that my origins should hold no bearing on our friendship." I say as I clench my teeth. His Highness had yet again successfully got under my skin and I didnt like it one bit.

"I have been observing you for the past week, Summoner. One observation I have made is that you are terrible at lying."

"May I ask what gives me away, your Highness?"

"You get easily agitated and your nostrils flare when you lie. I had noticed this the first time we had met and then I spoke with various members of the Order who confirmed it. Incidentally, those same members all have mentioned that they believe that there's more to you and my son than just simple friends. So I will ask you this once more..."

"We really are only friends right now, Your Highness. However, the is not the full picture. I don't know how Alfonse feels, but… I'm kind of… sort of... oh God… I really don't think you would approve of me…" I was blushing from extreme embarrassment. Was I really going to admit to him that I am in love with his son?

"I see… so then that confirms my other suspicions. It matches your actions and your previous statements. Now… does your loyalty for my son only come from this perceived notion of love?"

"Are you trying to tell me that my feelings are ill conceived? That my loyalty is only there because of those feelings? I am afraid that you are sorely mistaken, Your Highness. I have always supported Alfonse in his endeavours even before… well you know what I mean. I believe in what he stands for, my personal feelings for him haven't changed that." I was really becoming agitated now. This man somehow really knows how to push my damn buttons. I knew that he was trying to rile me up

"I am leaving the kingdom to Alfonse when I die. I need to know that he is the company of someone who is trustworthy. I won't stand by and watch as the fate of this kingdom falls into the hands of someone who is incapable and untrustworthy. My wife seems to have taken an interest in you and believes that you are more than capable of keeping Alfonse from recklessly charging into battle. Her assessment seems to be correct, but I needed more proof."

"Is that the reason why you've been giving me so much work? To keep an eye on me?"

"While I still have my reservations about letting someone from an outside realm pursue my son, it will be his choice in the end. I cannot prevent him from making his choice when I'm gone. The only thing I can do as a King and as a father, is to protect my children while I still draw breath."

"I don't think Alfonse and Sharena expect anything less. I'm sure my own father would do the same for me if he were here with me. I will play my part in this battle and I will make sure to honor your wishes. Even if it means that I must keep my distance." I sighed. I felt so defeated by King Gustav.

"It would be unreasonable for me to ask you to stay away from my son when you are already working with me on our plan." He grumbled, probably still not too pleased with the idea of me dating his son.

After a short moment of awkward silence, Al arrived alongside Tonia, who was holding a tray of coffee and the dark chocolate I had asked for. Alfonse looked at both Gustav and I. He seemed to have noticed the tense atmosphere that we were producing.

"Kiran, is everything alright?" Alfonse asked

"Everything is just great… fantastic really. We were just discussing last minute battle plans as well as the contingency plans for what should happen should you be slain by Hel. Eír tells me that the curse cannot be avoided and the battle plan is far from foolproof. I can hardly bare to do it, but I must be practical about this. Part of my job is to prepare for any foreseeable eventuality, so grave topics like this tend to crop up." I said mirthlessly

"My apologies, Kiran… none of this would've had happened if I were more careful." Alfonse frowned

"Well there's no point in dwelling on what would've happened if we hadn't fought Hel that day. All we can do now is plan for worst and hope for the best." I say while Tonia set down the tray on the table near where the couch is sitting on was at. I thanked Tonia for the coffee and quickly drank all of it. I could feel a small sudden burst of energy from the caffeine.

"Antonia, that was the best cup of coffee I have ever had! You really are the best."

"It pleases me to hear such high praise from you, Lady Kiran. That was my first time brewing that particular blend."

"Well then color me double impressed, Antonia. It's a shame that you'll be going back to the palace today."

"Thank you Lady Kiran"

"I'm still surprised that you like your coffee black, Kiran. With your sweet tooth, I would've expected you to put sugar and cream in your coffee." Alfonse chuckled

I gasped. Putting milk in my coffee? That would be an unforgivable sin! "Al! A single drop of milk is all it takes to destroy the pure black magic that is coffee!" I say as I dramatically drank the rest of my coffee in record time.

"Darker than a moonless night. Hotter and more bitter than Hel itself, that is coffee" I said quoting a certain white haired prosecutor from a game about solving murders in a courtroom.

"Right… anyway, on my way back here from the kitchens, I have received reports of an increase of enemy troops attempting to traverse the woods near the crypt. I fear that the hour of my death is almost here." Alfonse's lip began to tremble

"Then we must hurry. The longer we wait, the more likely it will be for Hel to succeed in her plans."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement and left the library to prepare for the fight ahead. I headed to my room and grabbed Breidablik and the dozens of orbs that I had been hoarding. On my way out, I met with Eír and decided to have her tag along with me as her connections to Hel has been a great boon in the information department. As per usual, she gave me the usual "You cannot escape death's curse" speech. I replied with my usual response of "We all die eventually, but it doesn't mean we should roll over and give up." I then grabbed Anna and Sharena. I then went out to the barracks and enlisted the help of male and female Grima, Idunn, and legendary Tiki. I needed to bring out my dragon team for maximum damage. There would be no mercy.

* * *

We had finally arrived at fated battlefield where Alfonse was supposed to killed by Hel. However, if I get to have it my way, than Gustav gets to die in place of his son. I hadn't told anyone the true plan besides Gustav and Henriette. Everyone else got the incomplete version of the plans and they were following those. They didn't know that I had deceived them. It left me feeling so disgusted with myself, but it was necessary for executing the real plan.

Anna barked orders at the heroes as they fought the undead army. It was quite clear that she was desperate to keep Al safe. I merely watched Al and Sharena fight while dodging blows from any enemies that managed to get to me. Eventually, we managed to defeat all of Hel's soldiers but there was still no sign of Hel herself.

"Ah, yes… the appointed time has arrived. Death is nearly here" Eir said with a twinge sadness.

"Well can you make her not be here? Not even that chain letter I had Tharja send out to Hel worked!"

"Um… Kiran? Nobody thought that it would work." Anna sweat dropped.

"Nobody messes with my other half and gets away it! Goddammit! This is like Joseph Joestar trying to fight Ultimate Kars!"

"Ultimate… Kars? Kiran you need to focus on the proble-" Anna froze right in place

"She's right behind me, isn't she?" I asked not wanting to turn around and face Death.

Anna simply nodded, confirming my fear. I was ready to scream out the codeword right then and there but I couldn't. If I did it, it would've sounded unnatural and possibly tip Hel into realizing that I was trying to do something. So I stood there for a while, frozen in place. Part of me hoped that if I stayed there, not moving one muscle, that I would become invisible. Of, course it didn't work and I was pushed aside like a rag doll as Hel advanced her way over to Al.

"Mortal…Now is the time for your life to end." She said to Alfonse as I struggled to get back up.

"Hel!" Alfonse then gasped like he was extreme pain.

I tried to make a beeline for Al so that I could at least comfort him until I call in for my coup de gra. I stumbled and crawled my way up to him like my life had depended on it. "I… I can't…" He struggled to say.

"There is no escape… so many have tried so desperately"

"Alfonse!" I screamed as I finally managed to regain my strength, just in time to catch him as the curse began to paralyze him. I could feel the adrenaline rush coursing through me and I suddenly felt like I could lift a horse with just my own two arms. I decided against doing that in favor of sticking with just holding him up.

"Thanks… Kiran…"

"I won't let you take my brother!" Sharena's voice bellowed out as she moved to attack Hel. I knew attacking Hel was mostly pointless, but if by some miracle I could gain a glimpse of Hel's weakness, I would take that opportunity in a heartbeat. Sharena tried to stab Hel with her Fensalir but it was like she was stabbing air. It was as if Hel was a ghost. Which to be fair, she was the death goddess.

"Our attacks aren't having any effect. Is she an illusion? Or a specter?" Anna asked as she tried to cut down Hel with Noatun

"Well considering the fact fact she is literally death, I would say that is not out of the question"

"I've got to find a way-" Anna says before being interrupted by Hel.

"Your efforts and your breath- they are wasted. Death is the one absolute" Hel said as she raised her scythe at Al

"Really now? That's too bad… I was really hoping to bake Al a "Congratulations you survived!" cake. I was gonna have Gaius assist me and everything." I say loud and clear with heavy sarcasm as I dropped my signal off.

"Kiran! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Anna shouted

"I've got this! I have to…" My voice trailed off as I held onto the prince tightly.

"Mortal… your defiance will cost you greatly"

"Your curse only targets Askr royalty. I am not royalty so as much as I would love to take Alfonse's spot in your realm to ensure his survival, it's just not in the cards. But you will have to pry him from me first." I growled.

"Very well, then. You will both die together. Your time has come my scythe is ready." Hel scoffed

"Kiran! You don't have to do this! Im sorry, Kiran! Arghh..." Alfonse cried out before reeling in pain due to the effects of the curse.

"Now…" Hel made a quick swing with her scythe as I hugged Alfonse tightly. I braced myself for the potential impact, but it never came. Gustav had arrived and taken the blow just like we planned. I heard the sickening sound of her blade piercing metal and flesh.

"Gah!"

"Father?" Alfonse looked upon the scene before us with surprise and horror.

"You... shielded him" Hel seemed mildly surprised by this new development

And there it was… I had passed the final test. It felt like such an empty victory. This victory was comparable to being lucky enough to win the lotto but then having all the money get stolen. I won in that I succeeded in keeping Al alive, but lost because the only person capable of saving him directly needed to take Alfonse's place. I all I could do was watch as the blood gushed out of Gustav's wounds.

"I understand your curse, Hel- it is a curse on the blood of Askr. That lesson, I learned from my father. I am Askran royalty, and it is my life that will be added to the numbers of the dead. The conditions of your curse are fulfilled. Depart this place, death god."

"Fool. Look at you, awash in sentimentality. What has it cost you? You have no right to call yourself a king" Hel said mockingly to the dying king.

"You comprehend nothing."

"What?"

"My life only exists only for the people of this land. I have never lost sight of that. Since the day I lost my father… I swore never to forget my duty. How much longer would I have lived? My son is young, and he is certainly worthy. As king, what choice did I have?" Gustav calmly explained.

"So you think this princeling has the makings of a king… Then die without regret. As ruler of the dead, I declare your life at an end"

"No!" Alfonse screamed as Hel raised her scythe once more.

"Alfonse… become King my son." Were the King's final words before Hel finally killed him.

Hel then disappeared along with Gustav's body. Anna ordered a quick retreat to any heros still on the field. I however, was helping Alfonse stand back up. He had spent the whole ordeal being paralyzed. I no longer found myself able to look neither Alfonse nor Sharena directly in the eyes. I didn't deserve it after what I had just done to them… and they didn't even know that Gustav's death was all planned last night, though I was sure Gustav had planned it several days before I had ever had a hand in it.

"Kiran.. why did you?" Alfonse struggled to ask.

"Because if the roles were reversed, and it was me under Hel's curse, you would've done the same for me no questions asked. I'm not much of a sword, but I can still be your shield. Usually I do that with my tactics but…"

"Kiran, under no circumstances do I want you to unnecessarily put yourself in harm's way. We could've both died. Instead, Father..."

My lips trembled. Part of me wanted to call him stupid and tell him that I had a plan the whole time but… I held my tongue. He had just lost his father, after all. "I just… didn't want to lose you. You're my best friend, Alfonse."

"I know… I just... don't want you to throw away your life just for me."

"I don't take my life lightly. I would die for you, Sharena, or even Anna if absolutely necessary. I must admit that I am terrified of dying in battle but… I want to do the right thing, even if it means my life. I won't throw away my life for no reason… not when I've worked so hard to get us this far." I say before whistling for my horse. I didn't want to stand around in the area for much longer, nor did I want to explain and justify my actions any further.

"Kiran! Wait please don't leave without us!" Sharena called

"I'm sorry! I have to go! I just want to be alone right now!" I then mounted Slow Dancer and galloped away from them. I just couldn't face them any longer without breaking down in front of everyone. No… I just needed to find a place where I could grieve quietly and so, I headed back to the Order in tears.

**A/N: So quick announcement, I guess. I got a job working at a hotel so now Im a working adult again. What does that mean in the context of this fic? Most likely, it means that it will take me much longer to write more chapters. Im gonna do everything I can to keep to my schedual of uploading on mondays late at night/early mornings on tuesdays but no promises (i tend upload at midnight because im naturally a night owl i guess). Also, Kiran liking her coffee black reminds me of the Hiimdaisy Persona 4 comic. If you havent read at least once, youre missing out. If you havent even played any of the Persona games yet, I have no desire to speak with you further jk. (But seriously go play a persona game)****Anna: "How do you like your coffee?"****Alfonse: "With Cream and Sugar"****Anna: "What are you? Kiran?"****Kiran: "Boss, I want it black!"****Ok I guess I'll shut up now... see you next time!**


	9. The Aftermath

I sat down in the castle garden staring at the stars. They twinkled in the sky so brightly, it was almost as if there was no Hel invading the kingdom. I sighed wishing I could just go to sleep but today's events were giving me vivid nightmares replaying everything that had happened just several hours before. I also had this nagging feeling that I should go comfort the prince and princess and yet it felt so… wrong. What right did I have to do that when I had put them in this position in the first place? The only solace I had was that in saving Alfonse, we still had hope in defeating Hel.

"Kiran? Are you alright? The whole Order has been looking everywhere for you." I hear Corrin's voice from behind me.

"No, I'm not alright. I told them that I wanted to be alone. I didn't want the entire castle to come look for me…"

"I know that you are upset about King Gustav, but you've gotten everyone worried about you. Especially Alfonse and Sharena. You just kind of ran off on them after the battle was over"

"Corrin… can I ask you something important?"

"Of course, Kiran. I want to help you in any way I can. You are my friend and I'm rather worried"

"Back in your world you had to make a difficult choice… do you ever wonder about… the choices you've made? Do they still haunt you?"

"I'd always wondered what would've happened if I had chosen my birth family. Until I had met the other me, I would constantly question my choices. There were a lot of things I've wished I had done differently. Once I talked to the other me, I realized that I would have felt the same way had I chosen my birth family. We've both witnessed the deaths of the people we cared about. But what made you…?"

"I'm not sure if should tell you the whole story. I'm not really supposed to tell Al or Sharena… so I guess I shouldn't give the exact details to whoever asks. All I can say is that I've made a choice and I feel terrible about it. Even if it was the right choice, it's led to His Highness' death at Hel's hands. I just wish I could just tell Alfonse and Sharena everything, but I can't. It was His Highness' last request. I feel as though I should honor what he wanted, even if I had never truly got along with him in the short time that I knew him."

"It's alright, Kiran. I understand that feeling all too well. Making choices, keeping secrets and not being able to share it with someone else...If it ever gets to be too much for you to handle, I am always happy to just sit and listen to you."

"You're too kind Corrin. It's no wonder why so many people seem to take a liking to you. I guess I should consider myself lucky to call you a friend"

"It really is no trouble at all, Kiran. You're always so good and kind to everyone here even when you don't see eye to eye with them. There's so many heroes here now, and yet you've managed to befriend so many of them. You're amazing!" Corrin said while trying to lighten the mood

"Thanks, Corrin. I don't exactly feel like I'm an amazing person, but I am glad that I can rely upon you. I just hope that… if Alfonse and Sharena ever find out my new secret, they would forgive me for the sin I've committed." I say darkly

"I don't think you need to worry about it. I'm sure that whatever you did, they would understand."

"Thanks… Well I suppose I should let them know that I am still alive. I at least owe them an explanation after I ran off on them like that. I have a feeling that if I linger here for too long Al would probably tear the castle apart brick by brick trying to find me."

Corrin chuckled "I don't doubt it. It's crazy how close the two of you have gotten since you first summoned me. You are pretty much glued to each other by the hips now, but before, he rarely even spoke to you unless it was work related."

"Well he had a thing against socializing with Heroes. He had a close bond with one of them before, but they left one day without a word. When I arrived, he was never rude or cold to me but he was very distant. I could be standing right in front of him, but it would still feel like he was miles away. At the time I was quite upset with Anna, Sharena and Al for unceremoniously plucking me from my home. I was in a strange world and I was being asked to help raise an army. I'm the daughter of an ex-military officer turned mega businessman, but that didn't mean I had any practical knowledge on battle tactics. I guess after working together as often as we did, we slowly formed a strong friendship."

"I'm actually kind of surprised to hear you speak about your family. I think you've only mentioned your family in passing but you had only mentioned your brother. What was your family like?"

"Well I have father, a mother and only one brother. After that, everything is kind of messy. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and but we arent as close knit as yours is. My mother is a women's doctor and my father is a retired officer. Though, nowadays he just trots around my world making business deals. I don't hear from him much anymore. I unfortunately inherited my parents insane work habits. All they do is work themselves to exhaustion. I fear for Al if he ever meets my parents… they are workaholics and it might give him a heart attack. Everytime I have asked them to take breaks, they just gave me some stupid line about how they are trying to give me and my brother what they didn't have when they were kids. It's a nice sentiment I guess, but it doesn't mean jack squat if they are never around anymore." I ranted.

Corrin looked at me with exasperation. It was as if I had told her that pigs had sprouted wings in my world and that the sky was bright pink. While Corrin also had her own unique family situation, her family in Nohr were so close to each other. My family was not as close.

"That must've been rough, Kiran. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that"

"Well it wasn't always like that. Once they considered my brother old enough to not do anything too crazy, they kind of just left us on our own. I mean, they gave us plenty of money for living expenses but we weren't legally adults either. I was entering high school and my brother was graduating high school and enlisting in the army. Which is another thing about my family. All the men on my father's side serve in the military. It's some sort of a tradition, I guess. I wasn't expected to enlist because everyone in the family seemed to agree that I'm not cut out for it. Instead, I wanted to be a historian of sorts. Anyway, before the great parent diaspora, my dad would often be gone serving in the military, but occasionally he was able to come home and he would listen to music with me. My mom was very loving and pretty much documented everything that me and Kaiden did. Everything about us she loved. She used to watch cheesy romantic comedies with me and stuff. I really missed it when my parents were able to just spend time with me."

"Speaking of Kaiden, what is your brother like? With the way you've spoke about the few times you've mentioned him, I would say you really look up to him."

"Damn straight I do. We have this awesome friendly rivalry going on between us but he is the brawn and I am the brains. That's not to say that Kaiden isn't smart, but he tends to be more physically active than me. Even before he joined the military, he was always involved in sports. He is super reliable too. He is much more of a hero than I ever was. He got all of my parents' good looks too. All I got in the looks department was the ability to confuse people into thinking that I am a boy." I sighed after realizing that I might never see my brother again.

"Don't worry, I think you are a Hero in your own way. You are exactly what this Order needs, Kiran. You will always be a Hero in my books" I hear a new, yet familiar voice say. I jumped in fright, not expecting someone to be listening in on my conversation with Corrin.

"Alfonse! How long have you been listening in on us?"

"Just long enough to hear you talk about your family. My apologies, Kiran. I was very worried about you when you ran off on us. I've already lost Father… I just didn't want to lose you as well. Please… don't run off by yourself again." Al looked like he was in a lot of pain.

"I'm sorry… I just needed to sort my own feelings about what happened today. I didn't really know your Father for very long but I can't help but feel upset. He died far too soon and I… feel guilty about what happened. Had I been smarter, I could've found a way to save the both of you." I averted his eyes.

"There was nothing else you could've done better, Kiran. Father wanted me to live so that I may find a way to defeat Hel. The best thing we that we can do right now is to keep on fighting the enemy." Alfonse looked like he was trying to hold all of his emotions in an attempt to appear cool and composed, but I knew him all too well. I could see his lips tremble and his hand grasping the handle of his sword. However, he never pulled it out of its sheath. It was one of his 'nervous tics' he had that I had noticed over the past two years.

Corrin, Al and I all stood there awkwardly in silence, the somber atmosphere threatening to engulf us. Ephraim strolled through the garden and then stopped. He looks at me, then Alfonse, and then Corrin. It had seemed that even he realized that something was amiss.

"My apologies. I was just looking for Princess Corrin" Ephraim said apologetically

"Is there something I can help you with tonight?" Corrin asked surprised by his sudden appearance.

"I just wanted to ask you to spar with me tonight. I've been feeling restless since the last fight and I have yet to test your mettle against my own. Fighting you would perfect opportunity to let out some steam"

Corrin then looked at me, as if asking if it was ok to excuse herself. I nodded yes and she politely excused herself. I waved her goodbye and expressed my wish for them to be safe and not over do the fighting.

"Kiran, would you come with me to my room? I want to speak with you privately." He asked me quietly

"Of course, Al. Please lead the way" I muttered. Normally I would have jumped on the chance to hang out with him, but the shame that I had been feeling from Gustav's death overrode any positive emotions I would've normally gotten from spending time with Al. I quietly followed him to his room. Neither of us said a word the entire trip. When we finally arrived at his room, I took a seat on one of his arm chairs next to the fireplace. The castle was rather drafty at night, so the warmth of the fire was a very welcome feeling.

"Al… I truly am sorry for everything that happened today. You were right… I shouldn't have needlessly risked myself like that. I was just afraid that I would lose you for good. You mean a lot to me and so I…" I found it hard to form more words to convey my thoughts perfectly.

"I understand. I trust you with my life, but I didn't expect you to try use yours to try to shield me. I've caused you so much grief this past week and it scares me. I should be thanking you for saving me, but I can't stop thinking about it… losing you I mean. I don't want to lose anyone else." Alfonse said as he picked up an old dead tree branch from the top of his dresser.

"Alfonse… I promise that I won't pull anymore stunts like that. If you ever need to talk to me about anything or if you need a shoulder to cry on just come to me. I will always be there for you" Al nodded somberly in agreement

"I would say the same for you Kiran. You can always come to me if you are feeling down. I know that Father's death has hurt you as much it hurts me. You may have not known him for very long, but that doesn't mean that you are not allowed to feel grief."

"My sadness is different from yours. I never fully saw eye to eye with him this whole week. I never really knew him and yet… I saw a lot of you in him too. He had this way of getting under my skin, but I could tell that he really cared about his people and that he cared about you. I can't even begin to imagine what is like to lose a parent. My dad might not have been around much back in my world but I am lucky to have a father that is still alive. In war there are always sacrifices, but the atrocities the Hel has committed should not go unanswered. We will find a way to end this war, I promise."

"I know and I will continue to count on your support. You're my best friend and my partner. Together we will get through this…"

I gave him a warm hug and stroked his hair. It was something we both really needed. I no longer felt the coldness of the curse lingering in his chest. It was replaced by a familiar sense of warmth that I felt when I had hugged him before the curse was placed on him. This reminded me of what I had sought to protect earlier.

"Honestly, what would you do without me?" I asked half jokingly

"We'd still be trying to find Zacharias, I think." Al mused

"I kept trying to tell you guys that he was really Prince Bruno, but no one believed me! Like after he saved me from Veronica, I realized his voice was similar to Bruno's but noooooo. I was just being silly." I said still feeling very salty that everyone had ignored my theory at the time. Serves them right… I was right.

"Yes… I remember you doing a victory dance when it turned out you were correct. Even got Gaius to bake a cake. 'In your face I was right' I think you wrote on it?" Alfonse asked smugly.

"That was because I was right and I will never let you guys live that one down."

"That's true. You have never let any of us live that down since. It didn't matter to me though… I was just happy that we had found him. I really hope that he finds a way to break Embla's blood curse"

"I think you mentioned killing Embla's dragon, once during the last spring festival. I did a bit of research and confirmed it with Tiki, but I think that killing Embla could actually work. My current hypothesis on Zacharias' and Veronica's curse is that Embla has denigrated into insanity. Embla has probably been in that state for some time if I am correct. However, I fear that if this is true, Askr may also eventually fall into that state as well. I also think that there may be a possibility that killing Embla will neutralize the Emblian royal family's ability to close world gates. If we ever do decide to go through with that plan, we would have tread carefully. This is only conjecture based on the information I have gathered. I don't have any actual physical evidence that can prove my hypothesis"

"I will definitely have to look into it for sure then. It would be a welcome temporary distraction from Hel at least."

"Perhaps we could schedule a trip to the library when we aren't being hounded by the undead. I have a few pet projects that I have yet to make headway on. Unfortunately, I cannot read the old Askran language so a majority of the historical records were unintelligible to me."

"Well I could help you with that, if you want. Is there anything in particular that you are interested in?"

I flashed a smirk at him "The question really should be 'what am I not interested in?' But I suppose that on the top of my list would be to see if the library holds any historical documents on how Breidablik was made. Without that, I can only make educated guesses on how and why it was made. You may recall from my earlier conversation with Corrin that I wanted to study history for a living yes?"

Alfonse nodded "Of course. I remember it quite vividly. I'm always curious about your world and what your past was like. It's like I get to see what you were like before we met."

"I was lots of things before we met. Had we met five or six years ago, you would've seen a very different version of me. I was… extremely rebellious. I dressed up in all black, drank beer at wild parties and I had um… physical relationships with a few people that were my age at the time. I am not proud of anything that I have done in my teen years but at the time, but everything I did was to 'get back' at my parents." I don't know why I decided to tell him the bit about me not being a virgin, but it served to drive home the point.

"I… had no idea… but then why are you so…?" Alfonse struggled to find the right words.

"Different? I guess I just found something more interesting to pursue. I don't know much about Askr's education system but in my country, children are required to attend school from about five years of age until the age of eighteen. After that, you could elect to go to college or university if you wanted to further your education. My dad hired a tutor for me when I was seventeen to help me with my coursework and to help me straighten my act I guess. It didn't really work at first, but I guess something about the way that tutor explained everything made me more interested in certain subjects, mainly ancient and medieval era history. It didn't change me right away but it did spark something in me. Now I'm a giant book nerd. Funny how things turn out in life isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess you are right." Al sighed

"So now that you know what you know about me… do you still think of me as a friend? I don't know what people in this kingdom generally think about people like me. All I know is that in my world, when it was at the technological level Askr is at right now, my actions would have at the very least been socially frowned upon. I don't want to ruin your reputation or anything since you are going to be king soon." I was legitimately worried about what he thought of me.

"Why should other people be able to tell me who I can and cannot associate myself with in private? You have made some mistakes in the past, but the Kiran I know right now will always be my best friend. If anyone objects, I will remind them of what you have done for Askr. I may be good enough at tactics, but I don't think we would've gotten as far as we have now without you innate talent for tactics."

"Oh thank goodness… I don't know what would've done if you had said something else. I guess it seems silly to worry about now, but I'm glad im able to share all the things in my past. Not just the good parts but the bad and the embarrassing parts too. I don't know what I have done in a past life to deserve you as a friend, but I'm not going to complain either."

"I'm not really that amazing, Kiran. I'm just doing what any friend would do." Alfonse said sheepishly

"But it's true! You're awesome! Like… you will always be awesome to me. Anytime you feel unsure of yourself, I will give you a swift kick in the pants and a hug. It's the Kiran House Special."

"Duly noted. I also have something I need to tell you, Kiran. It's very important, so I need you to listen carefully." Alfonse said while staring at the dead branch he was holding

"Alright, what do wish to tell me?"

"I've been thinking about hiring a retainer for you. With everything that had happened today with Father and Hel, I think it may be time to reconsider it. I just want to keep you safe and wanted to ask you first before doing anything else about it."

"Al, I really don't feel comfortable with the idea of having someone hover over me. I think it would be a better idea to have me continue training with the weapons. I want to be able to defend myself just like the others."

"Kiran, it's going to take a long while before you are ready to properly use any of those weapons on the battlefield. I'm just being cautious is all. Would you please think it over?"

"This all too sudden for me… I will definitely need some time to think it over, I guess." I muttered.

Getting a retainer? Why would I need one when I was making progress on learning how to use tomes and knives? This was just all too much for me to handle right now. No amount of comfort and safety Alfonse could offer me was gonna change what had happened. In my mind I could see that scene replay over and over again. I could still hear the sickening sound Hel's scythe made when it sank into Gustav's chest. I could still smell the scent of his fresh blood. I was beginning to feel sick.

"Kiran are you ok? You look ill…your face has gone pale" Al asked with worry

"I feel nauseous… I'll be fine I-I think…" I barely manage to say

"You need to lie down and rest. You can use my bed."

"N-no I don't think I should…" I stammered

"It's fine, Kiran. We've both been through a lot today, so I don't mind it. We've shared a bed last night too so I don't think it's a bad thing. I'll carry you"

Alfonse then lifted me up from the armchair bridal style. Between my nausea and being held in this manner, I was rendered speechless. A few weeks ago, this would've been the highlight of my day, but the nausea made it difficult to enjoy the moment. He then gently lays me down on the bed"

"Are you showing off? It's working by the way, if you were wondering. I'm actually very impressed. You are much stronger than you appear. W-which is not to say that I never thought that you weren't strong but um…"

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. The point is that you aren't feeling well and you needed some rest. Do you want me to grab a healer for you?" Alfonse said while trying to maintain an air of a calm and collected person trying to help a sick friend. What he didn't know that is that I saw him crack a slight smile after I had complimented his strength. God I swear, this guy is just too much for me. Why am I like this? His dad just died and I'm borderline flirting with him. I don't even think he realizes that I was even flirting with him. I wasn't even trying to either, that's just how it came out sounding like.

"N-no I think I'll be fine for now… maybe just have one of the maids grab me a small bucket just in case though?" I asked weakly.

"Alright. I'll send for Tonia to fetch some sick buckets. She's very quick so it'll arrive faster than you'd expect"

"Thank you… but I may I ask you for one more thing? I know it's kinda pushing it but, can I sleep next to you tonight? I tried going to sleep earlier before you found me and I couldn't stay asleep. I was thinking that if I was with you then…" I blushed. Truly I being ridiculous, asking to spend the night with him like that. No matter how much I had wanted it, this was wrong. It felt wrong to do this but… if it was ok last night, then what difference does it make? Or... so I had tried telling myself anyway.

"That is fine with me. In fact, I would prefer that you stay in bed for now. You look like you're burning up. Do you have a fever?" He asked as he touched the back of his hand first before touching my forehead.

"It's not a fever, I'm blushing. It's just a little embarrassing to be caught sick like this… I am supposed to be the Legendary Summoner or something like that aren't I? I shouldn't be letting a little nausea stop me from doing what I need to do"

"That's nonsense. You're a person just like everyone else here, and just like everyone else you can get sick. You of all people should know that by now."

"I don't have time to rest though. I still have research to do, battle plans to make, and now I'm somehow managing the royal knights on top of all of that. The knights have been answering to me for some reason even though all I do is send battle strategies at them. They really should just be answering to you. You are the prince, not me" I pouted

"I'm sure they are seeing the same thing in you that I did when we first met. I haven't been wrong about you yet. I'll take command over the knights regiments for the time being. I'm starting to think all of this sickness is induced by being constantly stressed out. You need to stop biting off more than you can chew. Starting tomorrow, I'm putting you on that vacation that I had promised you earlier.

"But what about-?"

"I'll have Robin take care of your tactician duties and I can take Sharena with me to the library to look for the info you need. All you need to do is at least get some sleep." He then patted my head and left the room. Presumably to grab some medicine. Either way, I had a feeling that I was in for an interesting day tomorrow.

**A/N: Wow... so this is kinda awkward for me. Remember how several chapters ago I was like "no uncessary A/Ns"? Lol now I've done several ones in consequtive order. So much for not using A/Ns to make the word count reflect the actual word count I guess. Also, as for my last update where I mentioned that my upload schedule was going to be a bit skewed? Well... unfourtunatley there some things that arent quiet working out for me in the irl department and I may suddenly have more free time to write again. *sigh* oh well. Anyway, I also want to quickly adress a couple things. **

**1) I suppose this should be explained in the story itself rather than in the A/N section but, the reason Kiran calls Anna "Boss" is because Anna is the one who summoned her and thus, Anna has contract a contract over Kiran. Kiran mostly just uses that nickname for Anna as a sign of respect and friendliness though. Also my headcannon says that the top order of the chain of command in the Order of Heroes goes like this: Kiran -- Anna -- Sharena -- Alfonse**

**2) I dont plan on ripping dialouge straight from the game again. It's not something I do too often because it makes it harder for me to adapt it with the stuff Im writing anyway. I mainly did it last chapter because I wanted to keep the dialouge mostly in line with the cannon of the FEH main story. I just hope that the non cannon portions of my fic that involve Gustav were done without breaking too much character. Gustav in particular was a bit difficult to write at times because I only had his conversations with Alfonse to go off of to get a feel for his personality and general mannerisms.**

**That is all for now I guess... Im going to go back to fanfic idea Hell for more stuff to put in here. I am currently under the impresion that Thrasir= Future other Veronica and Eir= Other Sharena. after the recent main story chapter revealed that Lif= Alfonse... which means... I have some fun ideas to play around with if my theories are true. Though Emboar bof's video on youtube regarding this idea better explains it than I could. **


	10. Frigid Vows

Today was the return of the annual bridal festival. It was a strange festival where even people who weren't getting married could dress up in wedding gowns. Today was also the day that Anna had decided that the best way she could raise the Order's profit margins were not by doing a donation campaign like any sensible person would do, but by shoving me into a wedding dress complete with all the gaudy bits and baubles. The only thing that I was able to convince her to let me do is to keep the lace veil over my face. I sighed. This was not how I had envisioned my wedding dress to look like but for some reason I just couldn't say no to Anna either. She too was down in the dumps from the king's death and I was just the perfect money making sche- er… I mean distraction for her. It would've felt heartless to take away the one thing that was making her happy at the moment, so I went along with the charade.

"Anna are you really sure this'll work? I mean… I don't think that a lot of people would pay for photos of me in a dress. Plus I don't want any weird creeps trying to hit on me. There's only one person that I want to…" I stopped myself from saying anything more.

"Oh ho! Do tell!" Anna suddenly donned some glasses and a journalist hat and held a notebook and pen in her hands.

"Oh geez… please don't tell me that you are going to start writing for the _National Enquirer_. It sounds like a bad business deal for the Order if you start writing tabloids for money. Just stick to the photos please." I begged

"I am not going to sell your information to the entire kingdom for money! What kind of girl do you take me for?"

"A businesswoman who really loves money. Maybe a little bit too much."

"Of course I love money! But I'm not completely heartless you know? My side businesses exist for the benefit of The Order of Heroes, after all. We need money to get the supplies we need on a regular basis, so I am using my merchant skills to help out. Besides, you've been the talk of the kingdom lately. People are curious about the Summoner now that they know what you've done for Prince Alfonse. I'm just giving them the opportunity to get a glimpse of you for the low, low price of 500 gold!" Anna winked at me mischievously.

"Let's just get this over with. The veil stays on though. If the public sees my face then the enemy will know what I actually look like and that will make it easier for them to attack me. The less people outside of the Order know about me, the better. It's for the best that I'm perceived as the mysterious summoner for now."

"Fine. The photos would sell more if they could see your face better, though."

I posed for the photo while Anna used her tome to take the photo. As Anna began taking photos of me, my mind wandered off to thinking about my future. Would I eventually get married for real one day? Would I be married to Al? What would he think of the dress that I was wearing? Does he even like me in that way? While I was planning on telling him how I felt about him soon, I didn't know when would be a good time to do it. I did promise to tell him of my 'secrets' at the end of the week, but that was before I knew that Gustav was going to take Alfonse's place by Hel's side. Now that his father is dead, it seems like it would be poor taste to confess my feelings to him then.

"Oh Kiran! Is that you? That dress looks beautiful on you."

I turned my head and saw Fjorm who was also wearing a wedding gown. Admittedly, she was actually a very beautiful woman in her own right. The dress was so perfect on her. It really fit her sweet and kind personality to a tee. Perhaps, in an alternate version of this world, this would've made my knees weak, and my palms sweaty… but in my heart, I knew it wouldn't work out beyond a friendship.

"Yep, it's me. I'm surprised that you knew it was me. I'm not wearing my normal coat and I'm wearing a veil over my face…" If one looked hard enough, you could see my surprised expression through all the netting and lace of my veil.

"Your dress has the Askran crest on it and the way you carry yourself gives it away for me. You always seem to have a way with drawing people in. You just have a certain aura about you." Fjorm blushed slightly

"Well that's the first time I've heard that from someone. I don't think I'm that interesting. I'm just the weirdo that covers her face and does tactics. I'm not even that good at it either… the others are far more talented. I mean… Robin can do crack tactics and fight. I'm just kind of a sitting duck if I get separated from whomever is guarding me."

Fjorm shook her head at me. "Well you are training with tomes right? That just means you just need to keep working hard on it. Besides, just because Robin is a crack tactician, that doesn't make you less interesting. You're so kind and generous… you saved me from being buried in the snow and you went out of your way to protect Alfonse earlier without a second thought."

"That? I've told you before you don't owe me anything for saving you. I'm sure anyone else with basic human decency would choose to do the same thing. As for Alfonse… He is important to me. I just wanted him to live. I couldn't imagine the Order without him you know?"

Anna shivered at the thought of it. Things would definitely wouldn't be the same without the Prince. "Please don't remind me… I almost lost a friend that day." Anna sniffed

"Sorry, Boss. It's not a day I like to remember either, so I wont bring it up too often."

"I-I'm sorry! I'm the one who brought it up… it is I who should be apologizing." Fjorm said quickly.

"I'll accept both of your apologies for now…." Anna then looked at me and then at Fjorm. She then snapped her fingers.

"I've got it! Fjorm would you mind taking pictures with Kiran? A picture with both the Tactician of Askr and the Princess of Nifl is sure to attract customers!"

I could practically see Anna's eyes light up dollar signs. At the same time, I could see Fjorm blushing. Probably from embarrassment. Eventually, Fjorm nodded her head and consented to let Anna take photos of her and sell them. I was rather shocked that she even agreed to it but I really couldn't complain about it. While I was still a bit miffed that Anna had me doing photo shoots on my day off, it wasn't all that bad. It was actually kinda fun dressing up like this.

"Ok Kiran, I want you to hold Fjorm bridal style."

I sighed… did she really have to go there? I mean… that would make it look like we were an item when we are just friends. I shook my head at myself. So what if it looks like that? It's just supposed to be a fun pose and nothing more. I lifted her up in my arms bridal style. She was actually much lighter than I had anticipated.

"K-Kiran! I didn't know that you were so strong!" Fjorm stuttered

"I'm of average strength. You're just very lightweight. I don't quite understand it… I thought you would be a little heavier. Muscle weighs more than fat and I'm sure you have plenty of muscle tone. Or at least I think you probably do. I can see that you at least have some muscle in your arms though…" To be honest, I was almost envious of her body. She has nice arms and I'm just some weirdo with a gun. The worlds work in mysterious ways I guess. Fjorm's face turned into a deep shade of red.

"Alright perfect! We got a blushing bride on our hands here! Now say cheese!" Anna cheered, eager to take the photo. We both smiled at her before the flash of the tome went off. I never liked being on the receiving end of the flash function of a camera but the way Anna's tome seems to replicate how cameras work in my world always amazes me.

When she was satisfied with the photos she's taken, Anna let me put Fjorm down. Fjorm quickly glanced at me and then quickly looked away. I was confused but I just figured that she wasn't used to doing this sort of thing. Perhaps, I thought, I should take her away from the situation.

"Hey, Boss. Fjorm was just telling me that the champagne here is to die for. Mind if we take a break and try it?" I gave Fjorm a wink as I say this.

"Well, it's your day off. I don't have much right to keep you working for much longer. Do catch the bouquet will ya? It'll be worth big money" Anna winked at me.

"I doubt it. It's only supposed to work for whoever catches it. The luck charm wouldn't transfer if someone bought it."

"Please Kiran… why must you hurt me in this way?" Anna pouted.

"I'm not trying to! I just don't want to see you get all worked up over the money making potential of the festival without even stopping to enjoy it for what it is. Besides, if those photos turn out well, then you will have already achieved your goal." I say while trying to turn the situation into a positive one.

"Kiran… you do care!" Anna sniffled and gave me a big hug.

"Of course I care… I'm just really bad at keeping a grudge. You may have been the one to summon me but… it's rather unfair of me to keep being angry over something that was out of our control. Despite everything… I think of us as more than just Legendary Summoner and Commander. You're my friend too."

"T-thank you Kiran!"

Fjorm just stood there and smiled at the both of us. I guess Anna must've been feeling very left out lately and this was her way of thanking me for spending time with her and her money making schemes. Suddenly, I found myself being hugged by both Anna and Fjorm at the same time.

"Um guys… you can stop now… I cant… breathe!"

"Sorry!" They both squeaked out after releasing me from the death squeeze. Not today, Hel. Not today. I shook my head at myself.

"I love you guys too. I completely understand too… my feminine charms affect both men and women alike. I'm just simply irresistible~" I say as I batted my eyelashes excessively and used a falsetto voice to emphasize the joke that I was making. Well, they probably couldn't see me do the eyelash thing very well since the veil obscures my face, but I was hoping that they can figure it out with the vibes I was trying to project onto them.

"Oh by the gods… you are worse than Laslow. I didn't even know that was possible" Anna snickered.

"I was actually going for more of an 'Oliver' vibe but yeah you got me. Im sure Laslow means well but… he's kind of clueless I guess." I shrugged.

"I'm still surprised that you can put up with his flirting, Kiran"

"He stopped when I eventually told him that I had my eye on someone else. It seems that to me, he only flirts on a surface level. I think he is hiding behind his flirting… I am not sure what for exactly though. It might be something to do with the future past of the World of Awakening, but that's just a guess" I say while folding my arms.

"You can actually notice that?" Fjorm asked in amazement

"Sort of? He's flirted with me in the past, but he only seemed to be half interested in me. He only really seems to have an interest in Azura. He gets so nervous around her now, but I think they are very cute together. I mean they both share a passion for the performing arts and stuff so it makes sense. His daughter Soleil seems to be the same way but instead with Ophelia. Soliel is a cute girl and all, but I am not interested in her in that way. I did give her a gemstone to give to Ophelia though, so I'm hoping that it'll work out between them. Now if only I could work up the courage to…"

"Ohhhh? Are you talking about the mystery guy you were talking about earlier?" Anna winked and then elbowed me slightly in the ribs

"Well, the person I like could be a girl or a guy. I don't discriminate. Either way, I won't tell you who it is."

"Whoever it is, I'm sure they'll say yes if you tell them how you really feel. They'd be lucky to have you." Fjorm smiled

"Y-you really think so, Fjorm? I mean… I don't know if now is a good time to do so. After everything that's happened with the war and all… it just seems inappropriate to do it right now"

"I know so! You are one of the kindest people I know. You've helped so many people here without asking for anything in return. I'm sure lots of people would like you for your big heart!"

"I dunno about that. You are making me sound like a saint or something… I'm far from that. I'm just doing what I can to do my part I guess. I'm supposed to be this legendary summoner, but all I ever do is make people worry about me. Not to mention, that while I don't usually ask for anything back, I don't always do these things just because I like helping people. I mean I do like helping people but… I do it because I'm selfish. I feel like if I do these things… then maybe I will feel like I'm being useful. More than anything… I fear that one day I'll just be left behind. If I'm a useful person, then I won't be forgotten and left behind. Only an idiot would throw away someone who gives them stuff or does nice things for them."

"Kiran… that's horrible. Do you truly see yourself that way?" Fjorm looked upset with me.

"I know it's not true but… sometimes those negative thoughts like to resurface on occasion. Just because I feel a certain way about myself sometimes, doesn't mean that I'll let it take hold of me. I have friends here who encouraged me ever since I arrived in this world. Sharena has always been my best cheerleader from the very start and while Alfonse took a while to warm up to me, he eventually started supporting me and encouraging me. Now, we are best friends. I can't imagine what I would do without them now. And then there's you, Fjorm… you are far more kind and gentle than I am. I'm glad that I had managed to save you from that snowstorm. You are an invaluable friend to me"

"Truly? You really mean it?" Fjorm's face lit up

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way." I cheered

It was then that a familiar messenger owl flew towards me and perched herself on my shoulder. In her beak was a small delicate envelope. I took the envelope from Feh and opened it with absolutely no regard for the quality of the envelope paper. It was a bit different from how I have seen Alfonse or Fjorm open their letters. They tend to be much more delicate with their envelopes and even go as far as to use fancy letter openers. However, if you are like me, ain't nobody got time for that shit.

After I had finished almost completely demolishing the envelope, I took the letter that was inside. I quickly skimmed through the contents of the letter. It was in Alfonse's handwriting... this guy had nicer handwriting than me and I was actually jealous of his penmanship. To be fair though, penmanship is not as important as it used to be in my world with the advent of computers and printers.

_"__Dear Kiran,_

_I hope Feh gets this letter to you safely and that you are also safe and sound. I have a few things I wish to discuss with you concerning Nah's rampages in the forest. I think you would be able to come up with a solution to this issue, since you have quite the knack for befriending Heroes. I know I should not concern you with your duties on your day off, but it is a matter of import.__I wish I could have attended the festival with you but the amount of paperwork I've been needing to attend to has been stacked higher than I am tall. While I'm not as fond as dressing up for these festivals as you are, anything is better than this dull task. Even dressing up as a groom would be a relief. I know that I will be expected to choose a bride soon, but I haven't given marriage much thought at all. It's been the least of my worries as of late, with the war against Hel going on at the moment. I'm also currently doing research in the library. I'm desperately trying to find anything that can tell us how to defeat Hel. Unfortunately, I've yet to find anything that would be of use to us. I'm sure you hadn't found anything in the library, but I had hoped you had missed something there during your last search.__Anyway, I hope you are enjoying yourself. Try not to get too involved in any of Anna's new 'get rich quick' schemes. Also, please try not go to anywhere by yourself. I know that you don't want to be escorted around all the time, but I fear that Hel will try to target you next one day. I cannot help but feel anxious whenever you go out on your own, but I know it wouldn't be good to keep you all cooped up in the castle. I will be awaiting your safe arrival tonight._

_Warmest Regards,_

_Prince Alfonse"_

A smile slowly crept across my face until it was wide enough to where even Fjorm and Anna could see it through my veil. I really couldn't help it... he is such a huge dork and getting letters from him always makes me smile. I folded the letter and put it in my dress pocket.

"Hey Kiran, who's the letter from hmmmm?" Anna winked at me teasingly.

"Th-That's none of your business Anna! It's just a letter!"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret. My lips are sealed!~" Anna teased me some more.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I yelled out in a panicked frenzy

"It means that you are terrible at hiding things. I think I've just figured out who your secret crush is. The seal on the envelope gave it away."

"Goddamnit…"

Anna grinned at me mischievously, while Fjorm sighed as if she had been defeated in someway. I decided that now was a good time to politely excuse myself from this conversation. Fjorm looked super uncomfortable with the subject of my love life being brought up constantly by Anna and I was going strategically use that to my advantage.

"Hey I think the bouquet is going to be thrown soon, wanna come Anna?"

"Nah, I think I'll pass. I don't really believe in those superstitious traditions, so you guys can go without me. Besides, I have everything I need right here." She said motioning to her tome that she'd been using the whole day.

"Well Fjorm, I guess that makes it just you and me. Wanna go catch the bouquet together?" I winked at her playfully.

"O-of course! I w-would love to go with you!"

"Alrighty! Let's go find the other brides then!" I then proceeded to grab Fjorm's hand and dragged her all the way across the other side of the festival grounds. In all of my excitement, I failed to realize how flustered Fjorm was the entire time.

"Um… K-Kiran, could you… maybe… slow down a little bit… please?" Fjorm said in exasperation.

I then suddenly let go of her frigid hand in surprise. "Oh right! Sorry! My bad! I won't do it again, I promise. I think we are getting close though."

I pointed at the pavilion where a stage had been set up for the annual bouquet throwing ceremony. A couple of heroes were getting on stage. More specifically, It was Louise being lovingly escorted center downstage by her husband Pent. Louise really was a picturesque bride and her entire being radiated a glowing happy aura. It appeared that Louise was the one who was going to throw the bouquet this year. I guided Fjorm down to the pavilion and put us in a strategic position where we would be most likely to catch it. I had guessed that as an archer, she would be able to launch the coveted bouquet much farther than the brides from previous years. I've seen her handle bows with incredible draw strengths, so of course, I took that into my consideration. Unfortunately, a crowd of brides started to gather below the stage so I couldn't get in the exact position that I had wanted to be in.

Louise then gave a whole speech about marriage and talked about how meeting Pent changed her life in many ways. Basically, typical stuff you would hear from married couples who have managed to stay afloat. She then threw the bouquet and I swear that every single woman dressed up as a bride went into a ravenous frenzy. It was complete and utter chaos until both Fjorm and I had both managed to catch it at the same time. I ended up giving it to Fjorm though, since I knew that it would make her happy. Fjorm beamed at me with an infectious smile that radiated happiness and warmth despite her chilly origins.

"You really didn't have to do that you know… thank you. Are you sure that you don't want it?"

"Nah… besides I've got all the luck I need here and right here" I say while pointing to my mind and then to my heart.

"Then perhaps one day I'll…" Fjorm stopped herself from finishing her sentence.

"You'll what? Come on, don't leave me in suspense like that!"

"I'll get married to the one I fell in love with." She blushed heavily.

"Oh! I didn't know that you liked someone. I won't pry though. I know how uncomfortable it feels when people try to dig up your love life. In any case, I feel the same way. About getting married I mean."

"I just don't think that they feel the same way about me though." Fjorm sighed

"Well you can't knock it until you tell them how you feel about them yourself. If they love you back, then it's a win. If not, then it wasn't meant to be. It doesn't mean that you are a bad person or anything. I had to learn that one with the first person I had a crush on. She… wasn't into girls though and I felt crushed afterward. Looking back on it, though… Even if she was into girls, it wouldn't have worked out at the time. Our interests and personalities probably wouldn't have mixed well. Everything will work out for you in the end somehow. At least, that is what I believe."

"So how did you go about asking your crush? I mean…" Fjorm's voice trailed off as if trying to find the right words.

"Well if you really want to know… It wasn't easy for me at the time since I was only just starting to realize that I was attracted to both genders. There's a school of thought in my world that believes that gender identity is on a spectrum and not on a binary, but right now I'm talking about liking men and women in general. Eventually, I just finally just worked the courage one day and she turned me down. It was soul crushing at first but I eventually found and dated two other girls. Obviously both relationships ended, but if you really want to know how to ask a girl out then it's just best to be upfront. You can't dance around dropping hint and expect them to understand. It's the same thing for guys, but with girls it's a bit harder because you don't know for sure if they are even attracted to other girls unless you ask them."

"I don't think I am ready to confess, but thank you. I'm not as upfront as you are about that sort of thing. You seem so confident about yourself when you talk about it… I just wish I were that brave." Fjorm seemed to be conflicted for a moment but also just trying to soak in the information that I had given her.

"I'm actually quite terrified usually. I just prefer to be the one to ask because it cuts out the guesswork and the disappointment from them not getting any of the hints that I'm into them. Girls are socially expected to be pursued and not be the pursuer, so not many girls I've met were comfortable with doing that and try dropping hints. Some guys also like it because it takes the burden off of their shoulders. If it's a girl that they like, it's super attractive to them. Though I'm not sure if that's something guys in this world would find appropriate." I frowned for a moment. Would Alfonse like a woman who takes that kind of initiative? I suddenly felt my stomach tying itself up into a tangle of knots

"Then I still think it's brave and admirable. You do it even if you're afraid! That's one reason why I think you are amazing."

"Thanks. If you have any other questions, just ask. That's what friends are for, you know?"

"I will! I'm so glad that I can talk to you like this. It feels like some of the weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

"That's good to hear. I figure that if I could make things easier for people by passing down what I know, then it would make the world a better place. It would be much better than using my knowledge for warfare. I mean… when this war is over, I wouldn't mind teaching a few things to people. It's not my dream job, but perhaps Askr could benefit from it. I dunno does that sound weird to you?" I blushed from embarrassment

"No. I actually think that sounds great. There's hardly a moment when I don't see you reading an old book and when you talk about the history of your world you get this glint in your eye and you become elated. Once you get going, it's hard to stop. I guess I can tell that the passion is there."

"Well I'm more of an aspiring Historian. My focus has been shifting to studying the history of this world lately though. I have not had much headway though. I can't seem to read most of the old records in the castle because the old Askran language is different from the way it is now. Luckily I know an even bigger nerd than I am so I'm willing to bet that I will be able to learn the language soon. Ahhhh… just thinking about it makes me feel all tingly inside!" I was practically jumping up and down at the thought of sifting through the records with a full understanding.

"Well in that case, maybe one day you could come visit my home in the Nifl Palace and look at the records there as well. I could give you a basic rundown of the major historical events of Nifl, but I'm afraid I don't know as much as my sister and mother did."

"That's still really great though! I will happily take you up on your offer. Promise me that you will give me a tour of Nifl and stuff next time I visit! I never got to properly explore Nifl when we were fighting Muspell so I think it would be cool to experience the culture firsthand. I'm not very used to being in the snow or being super cold in general but I'm used to living on a tropical island. And before that, in the middle of a dessert. Quite the opposite of Nifl in due respect."

"I would happily show you around Nifl on your next visit then. Do you think you could show me your world if the opportunity ever comes up? I would love to see those 'cars' and 'skyscrapers' I've been hearing about."

"Sure! I think it would be interesting to see you experience it. Especially if we go to my place. I live on a tropical island so it's very warm. I just wish it wasn't so expensive to live there. Everything is so overpriced because it's a popular vacation spot for lots of people."

"Maybe we could go swimming then?" Fjorm asked

"Sure. We could go to my Dad's place. He lives very close to the beachfront. It'll be less crowded that way."

"I'll be looking forward to it then, Kiran" Fjorm smiled warmly.

"Then it's a promise then. We will each show each other our homelands when the opportunity arises"

Fjorm nodded and we shared a hug together. Her body was icy to the touch, but under the ever rising June heat it was surprisingly refreshing. At that moment, I was able to forget all of my worries.

**A/N: So I have a slight announcement to make. I will be delaying the release of the next chapter so I can catch up on my writing. I ran out of back up chapters because... the chapters I've been writing have been getting much longer than they were when I originally uploaded the first chapters. Another reason is that I was on vacation for the week of the fourth of july to see family out of state and I didnt have much time to write then. Im still playing catch up with chapter 11 tbh. Ive also been brainstorming ideas for future chapters that I've been wanting to write for awhile but I'm not far enough in the story to put down those ideas in writing yet. The release of chapter 9 did throw slight monkey wrench into some of my plans so im currently tweaking those as well since I was originally operating under the theory that Eir was the other Sharena which seems to not be the case now. I know one likes excuses but I do want to let you guys know where I'm at in the writing process and I want to be a bit transparent so there are no unintended surprises. So far, I'm surprised that people even read my A/Ns. Im pretty guilty of skipping Authors notes entirely and not actively leaving feedback for fanfics that I follow. Anyway, thanks for continuing to read this by the way.**

**Also, Im going to keep shipping of the Fates and Awakening Characters to a minimum for my own personal sanity. I dont wanna keep a shipping flow chart to keep track who is parent to which child on file at all times just write a fanfiction. With that said, I just think AzuraxLaslow makes the most sense to me as a pairing since in their supports, Azura is the one who expresses intrest in Laslow first instead of Laslow pursuing Azura. Also they share a passion for the preforming arts so it checks all the boxes for me. Also some light SolielxOphelia shipping and maybe some future F!RobinxChrom as a ship but I dont really plan on it. I just think it makes the most sense as ship instead of SumiaxChrom. Anyway, Im going to stop rambling about fates/awakening ships or we will be here all day and this A/N is already long enough as is**

**Funfact: when I originally wrote the scene where Anna is taking the photo of Kiran and Fjorm, I actually wrote it as "Say Alimony!~" because I thought it would be a funny dumb joke to make and maybe be a reflection on Anna's personal feelings towards getting married herself, but then I realized that it raises a lot of questions about Askran culture that Im not sure I should tackle or answer yet. Mainly, how the citzens of Askr view divorce, or if divorce is even allowed in the kingdom. After that, I decided that a generic "Say cheese" would suffice instead.**


	11. Swimming Lessons

I sighed heavily as I began to head to the beach. Alfonse and Sharena had decided that I needed another day off while they finish preparing for the trip into Hel. I heavily suspected that Alfonse was also handling my responsibilities himself even though I told him not to. If I could barely handle all the work I normally had on top of figuring out strategies for the upcoming expedition to the Realm of the Dead, then Alfonse was gonna be given a run for his money. The workaholic side of me was extremely irritated that they wouldn't let me help out with the preparations. My coat swayed to and fro in the gentle sea breeze as I looked at the sea wistfully. The feeling lasted for only a moment and was soon replaced by a "you should be working right now" feeling mixed in with a bit of nostalgia and homesickness.

"Hello there, Summoner. I was under the impression that you were going to be organising the trip to Hel today."

I jumped and turned around to find Laegjarn dressed up in a very sexy looking swimsuit. I will never get used to seeing Laegjarn or Gunnthra wandering the halls of the Order after everything that had happened during the war with Muspell. I had seen their deaths first-hand and so it was like looking at a couple of ghosts. I had summoned both Gunnthra and Laegjarn from a different version of Zenith. You see every world had multiple versions of themselves and each version had slight differences from each other. They are different and yet, they were also the same. It was enough to make my head spin sometimes, even if I had understood the concept. I do not have a quantum physics major, which meant that while I knew the basic idea on how the worldlines worked, I did not know it's inner workings.

"I thought so too but… the golden boy wanted me to take another day off. I was only supposed to have yesterday off but here I am I guess." I pouted

Laegjarn chuckled. "Ever the hard worker, dear Summoner. I now understand why this Order relies on you so much. Your 'golden boy' is right, however. The amount of work and stress you have taken upon yourself would've crushed a lesser man by now. It will be your undoing eventually."

"Yeah… so I have been told. I just can't help but feel like I have to keep working. Everyone in the Order is risking their lives for this war and I'm just me I guess. Im almost useless in a fight so I have to make myself useful to the heroes who are fighting for The Order. Either way, I just can't seem to relax like I'm supposed to."

"In that case, I might just be able to help you take your mind off your usual work and give you something to do. Do you know how to swim?"

"Yeah. I used to live in a tropical place like this so it only made sense for me to learn how to swim. I'm a very strong swimmer I would say." I responded

"Would you be interested in teaching my sister and me how to swim?"

I looked at her, surprised that was her only request. "Is that all you want me to do?"

"Yes. In Muspell we don't have many places to go swimming so it's not a common activity amongst my people"

"Well then… In that case I would be very happy to teach you and your sister the basics. Where is Laevatein anyway?" I asked, my eyes scanning the area for Laevatein.

"I'm right here, Summoner." Laevatein responded blunty. She was behind me the entire time. I gasped loudly and jumped about several feet up into the air. Laegjarn chuckled at the scene that was unfolding before her.

"Hey! Please don't do that again. I may be on vacation time, but Askr is still at war with Hel. Honestly! I swear that Askr is magnet for trouble of the I'm gonna invade and conquer your people' variety. Anway, I might not be much with a weapon, but I've been told that I have a mean right hook. Try not to be it's next recipient" I said coolly. I then realized that it sounded a lot more epic in my head than it did when I had actually said it. I sounded like a teenager who had read waaayy too many edgy fanfictions. Which was partly true since I used to read a lot of edgy fanfictions while I was in highschool. The thing is… Im twenty now and fanfictions don't really exist in Askr, so there's that I guess.

"Is that a threat, Summoner?" Laevatein asked as she glared at me.

"No. Even if it was, I still wouldn't last very long in a hand to hand combat situation. I just don't want to hurt anyone unnecessarily." I said sheepishly

Laegjarn chuckled. I looked at her confused by her amusement. "You have a spirit that burns bright like the flames of Muspell. I wonder how different things would've been if we were the ones to summon you."

"That wouldn't have worked out for you, I'm afraid. Your father terrified me and I wouldn't have respected him as a king. You on the other hand… if it was just you and Laevatein then maybe it would've worked out. Either way, it doesn't matter much now. My main concern is to make sure that I can guide everyone to victory. If I can do that then… I can rest more easily."

"I can respect your answer. You're right. It doesn't matter now. Instead, we should focus on the task at hand. No amount of what ifs is going to change what happened to me in this world. All we can do now is to use the opportunities that are open to us to our benefit. Use them to become stronger and the flames of your heart and soul burn brighter. Teaching us to swim is one such opportunity for everyone involved. That is what I believe."

"Yeah you're right Laegjarn! I will keep that in mind then. I mean… we should stop diddle daddling and start swimming. I'm going to start you guys with a doggie paddle and then we'll gradually work your way up to some more basic strokes. I know doggie paddling looks kinda juvenile but right now we are more concerned with function over looks and sophistication. Either way, it'll be much better than how I was first taught how to swim."

Laevatein tilted her head as if confused or curious. Normally, she used robot like mannerisms and only did things because she saw herself as a tool and nothing more. However, in that slight instance, I saw something human in her. It was fucking adorable and I wanted to hug her but I think Laegjarn wouldve kicked me or something for making a sudden move on her sister. I resisted the urge to hug her but the sisters saw a slight smile creep out from under my hood.

"Might I ask how you were taught?" Laegjarn asked

"My dad first taught me how to swim using the sink or swim method. It's exactly as it sounds. He threw me into the deep end of a swimming pool and watched me try to figure out how to swim on my own. It put me off of swimming for a while as a kid. My mom chewed him out for doing that but apparently, that was how his dad taught him and he thought it would be a good way to teach me. My mom ended up taking me to a swimming class once a week. It took me a while to feel comfortable being in the water again. I eventually got good enough to where I was swimming competitively. I didn't win any of the competitions but I did get third place once." I smiled awkwardly realizing that I had been talking their ears off and had not done any actual teaching.

"Then it's a good thing you didn't try that on my sister. I would have sent the whole of Muspell's army after you." Laevatein grumbled.

By all accounts, she very well could do that. She is the acting Queen of their kingdom afterall, even if she hadn't been officially crowned yet. While she has made it clear on several occasions after the war that she didn't care much for Askr, Laevatein begrudgingly agreed to help The Order in its current goal of figuratively punching death in the face. If I'm lucky, I might actually punch Hel in the face and live to see another day. That would definitely be a story to tell the grandkids if I ever get to that point. I secretly hoped that the hypothetical grandkids I would have would be with Alfo- I stopped myself from completing that thought.

"Kiran… you are in the middle of a war you big dummy! Even if he does like you back, there's no guarantee that either of us would live long enough to have kids let alone grandkids." I mentally scolded myself.

"Well I think we should probably stop dawdling. Let's get started, shall we?" With a dramatic flourish that would make even the resident chunibyo Odin proud,I took off my coat and threw it into to wind revealing the cute halter top bikini I was wearing. Admittedly, I had originally bought it because I was told by a friend that wearing a top with ruffles would make my bust appear slightly fuller without having to pad it out. Of course, the bottoms also had a few ruffles on it to match.

"That was a bit… over the top." Laevatein said lamely

"Oh come on! It was super cool just like in the all of the mangas!" I said like the goddamn nerd I was.

"Anyway, your first test is… you have to race me to the shoreline! Last one there is a rotten egg!" I then dashed to the ocean as fast as I could but they actually were able to catch up to me pretty quickly. It would appear that I overestimated my own running speed.

* * *

Alfonse was in the gruelling position of taking on his own work and Kiran's. He was honestly amazed that she could all the work that she normally did. He was also starting to understand one reason why she worked herself to the bone. In all of the chaos of the paperwork and the ongoing research being done on Hel, it was easy to lose yourself in the work. It was easier to focus on the work and force yourself to think of it rather than what was actually bothering him. He grimaced at that thought. He would make sure that Kiran got as much time as she needed off if that was the case. He didn't know how long he could make it last as they were still at war and death waits for no-one. Alfonse understood this more than most.

He began to fumble through more of the intimidatingly exorbitant amount of paperwork that he had found sitting atop Kiran's office desk. There was also simple leather bound journal that placed right next to the pile of papers. He had tried opening it, but the blasted thing was cursed to high Valhalla. He almost lost one of his eyebrows because of it. Alfonse then surmised that it was most likely her diary and he shouldn't attempt to intrude any further than that. While he was curious as to the contents of the diary, he wanted to respect her privacy and save his eyebrows from any further potential damage.

There was a knock on Kiran's office door. "You can come in."

"Hey there. How's it coming along?" Asked Anna.

"It's not really coming along fast enough. By Askr! Is Kiran even human? How can she keep up with this on a regular basis?" He slumped in Kiran's office chair in defeat.

"I've never seen this much paper in her office before. I don't think she could finish it in a fortnight." Anna frowned.

"I'm just surprised is all… I think she was taking up some of my responsibilities to ease the burden on me when I was under Hel's curse. I found a few of my own papers in the pile earlier but even that pales in comparison to the amount of work she's normally taking on. As a crown prince, I get lots of papers that need signing but Kiran… I always knew she was overworking herself but it's worse than I had thought."

"Well… I think you should take the rest of the day off. Knowing Kiran, she gets restless when she isn't working. She's not going to rest properly unless you are with her."

"I can't just leave, Anna. I still have work to finish. Besides… how would I even explain why I left early?"

"Alfonse use that noggin of yours! Just say that you left to come pick her up or something. That is the weakest excuse I've heard in a while. Almost as if… you want to go but you're too chicken." Anna smirked

"Why do you think I would be afraid of the beach?"

"It's not the beach that I'm talking about. It's Kiran." Anna winked.

"Is Sharena putting you up to this?" Alfonse asked with a hint of irritation.

"Nope! I'm just suggesting that after all of the work you've been doing, I think it would be reasonable for you to take a short break. I will handle the rest of the work for today."

"I'll have to think about it." Alfonse muttered.

Alfonse didn't want to admit it but he did secretly want to spend time with Kiran at the beach. He wanted to just talk to her and see her warm smile. There was also the warm fuzzy feeling he got when he thought of her or looked at her. He couldn't quite pinpoint when exactly he started to feel this way, only that the feeling grew over time and that it had finally caught up to him recently. All this time he had justified it to himself by telling himself that they were just being best friends, or that he was protecting her. She was the Summoner and if she died, the Order would slowly follow suit but… he also knew that he could easily assign one of the Heroes to keep her out of harm's way. Alfonse shook his head at that thought. However, he refused to do it that way, because he preferred to do it himself so he could spend more time with her.

Did his 'friendship' even count as such anymore? It wasn't that they weren't friends, but more like… it turning into something a little closer than a best friend relationship. He was pretty sure that sharing beds with someone of the opposite sex was something you do with a lover not a best friend. He should've politely declined both times if they were 'just best friends' like they had both claimed not only to each other, but to other people. Instead, he let her sleep next to him in the same bed. They weren't lovers and yet… he couldn't say that the thought of them being together romantically hadn't crossed his mind before.

"Zenith to Alfonse? Are you alright?" Anna tried to snap him out of his deep reverie.

"No, Im fine for now. I'm just thinking about… stuff. Yeah…" Alfonse blushed

"And by 'stuff' you mean Kiran, right? Look, after everything that has happened lately, both of you could use a breather. I can handle the paperwork and the other responsibilities Kiran has and Sharena has agreed to do the rest. We can use Noatún to get there." Anna pulled her axe out with a sense of pride.

"You are going to send me there whether or not I say yes, correct?"

Anna nodded vigorously. Alfonse sighed as he had resigned himself to going along with Anna's new scheme which was suspiciously devoid of any monetary gains.

"Put this on. It's a beach, so you should wear something to go swimming in." Anna then handed him a pair of boxer brief styled speedos with the Askran crest on the back.

"Um… Anna? This a bit too revealing for me" Alfonse grimaced.

"Oh come on! I'm sure Kiran would like seeing that on you" Anna joked.

"The answer is no. I don't care if you think she would like it, I'm not exposing that much of myself. Isn't there something a little less revealing?"

"Fine… I had a feeling that you'd prefer the swim trunks but I recently came out with a new line of swimwear and I was hoping you would test it yourself. Here you go." Anna then handed him a pair of trunks with celtic knot designs and the Askran crest on one of the pockets.

"I just don't feel comfortable wearing something so small. Normally I wouldn't be entirely opposed to testing out your new merchandise, but I'm going to have to say no today."

"Alright. I'll step outside for a bit so you can get changed. Come out when you're ready and We'll be off"

Alfonse sighed in defeat. He didn't like the idea of using Kiran's office as an impromptu changing room, but he knew that Anna was set in her ways and didn't feel like arguing with her. When he finished, he went outside of the office and Anna whipped out Nóatún.

"Ok you are going to want to hang on to me for this. It only works if you're holding onto it"

Alfonse nodded and followed the instructions Anna gave him. In a flash, the castle walls seemingly melted away and was being replaced with the new scenery. Blue skies, gentle breeze, the scorching summer heat and the sound of ocean waves took its place.

* * *

"You are doing wonderfully, Laevateinn! I'm sure you will master the basics without the board in no time!" I cheered. I of course was referring to the green boogie board that I gave to Laevatainn to facilitate her learning. It kept her afloat but not enough to make her completely reliant on it. It was to help her get used to the feeling of swimming and practice using her legs to kick in the water while providing her assistance to keep her from drowning.

Amusingly enough, a few other vacationing heroes began to watch my lessons intently from the shoreline. Namely the young Tiki and Prince Xander. I vaguely remembered they also didn't know how to swim. Perhaps I could teach them how to swim as well? It's not like I was incapable of teaching multiple people how to swim.

"How long does it take to learn to swim?" Laevatein asked impatiently

"Longer than a day usually. You can't really expect to learn and master a new skill in one day you know? We can continue our lessons on other days too. For now, I am just trying to get you used to the feeling of swimming and then we are going to learn the basic doggie paddle."

"Just tell me what to do. Give me the orders"

"Well if you feel that you are ready, I will show you how to doggie paddle and then you can copy me. If you feel like you are having trouble staying afloat, Just remember that I am right here to keep you from drowning."

"I am ready"

"Alright. All you have to do is pull out both your arms out in front of you like this and then you take one arm and you pull it towards you and then you do the same with the other arm. Remember to kick just like how I taught you earlier." I then fully demonstrated the doggy paddle in action.

I continued to instruct her on how to do the doggy paddle correctly for about thirty minutes until Laevateinn was able to swim. It wasn't a "proper" swimming stroke but I was proud of myself for being able to get her to swim. After continuing to have her practice, I decided that I would end the lesson for the day. I escorted her back to shore and let her wear and borrow my cloak since I didn't bring a beach towel with me. It was then that I was approached by prince Xander who looked rather nervous.

"Kiran, I noticed that you were teaching princess Laevatein how to swim and I was wondering…" His face was flushed from embarrassment.

"Sure. Of course, I wouldn't be able to teach you absolutely everything today but I don't mind. It's never too late to learn how to swim and there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed of for learning as an adult."

"I'm glad that you aren't judging me for my lack of swimming ability. I'll admit that it's something that has made me feel self conscious whenever I go to the beach." Xander grimaced

"I just find it hard to judge you at all. You remind me a little of my big brother in a way, so I guess my bias is positively skewed in your favor." I smiled

"Might I ask what makes us similar?"

"I see how you and your siblings are like together. Kaiden is definitely different from you in many ways but he was always there when I needed him. I looked up to him the way I am sure your younger siblings do for you. I guess it's the strong sense of family values that you both seem to have. I wish I can see Kaiden again… it's a real shame that the war is putting a real damper on opening the gate back home." I sighed

Xander looked at me with concern "I'm sure you will find your way home one day. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind filling in for your brother. I'm sure that Kaiden would feel better knowing that you have people who'll support you like family."

"I appreciate it. I just worry about my family back home. If time passes the same as it does here, then for all intents and purposes I'm a missing person. Legally after a few more years pass, they can declare me to be dead. I can only imagine what my family is going through right now. I usually try to push it to the back of my mind when I'm working, but even after two years, I still wonder if they are still looking for me."

"I'm not sure what to say, but you have my sympathy."

"Thanks. If it weren't for everyone here, I would be very lost. The Order has become like a second family to me, so it means a lot to me. To that end, I would do anything I can to keep it afloat. Right now I can only help out with the small things. A strategy meeting here, helping out with the younger heroes there... I just can't help but feel like I should fight alongside everyone else. I've been training in all the different weapon types but nothing seems to really stick to me. I feel doomed to be on the sidelines being everyone's cheerleader. The only way I can control this feeling is if I can devise strategies. To control the flow of battle without lifting a weapon is the only way I can feel a bit more at ease"

"Kiran, if I may be so bold, I think that it suits you much more than fighting. I do agree that training with a weapon would only benefit you, but I find it hard to picture you as a hardened veteran warrior. What you are doing right now is more than enough for everyone" Xander put his hand on my shoulder as a way to show that he cared about me as a friend. I knew that his intentions were pure and honest, so I accepted his gesture.

"Lots of my friends here tell me that. I know that people here appreciate everything that I do for them. I just always feel like I am inadequate even when I know it's not true. I'm getting better at not letting it get to me, but it's always there. Nagging me and telling me that I'm not working hard enough. Even now, when I'm on vacation. I wonder… if that's how my parents feel about themselves too. All they ever did was work themselves until they keeled over from exhaustion. If it weren't for Al, I would have died several times over from overworking myself alone."

Xander looked at me questioningly but decided against asking me whatever it was that wanted to ask. Instead, he imparted a small nugget of wisdom "Just remember that you can always lean on Prince Alfonse, me, or any of the other heroes when you need help. You can't always do everything on your own."

"Hey… that's no fair! I'm supposed to be the one teaching but I'm the one being lectured by my own students. I better rectify this now or I will not be able to finish-"

**_Whoosh! Askran Commander Anna wants to battle! Go Alfonse!_**

-fight

-item

-orb

-run

Ok but in all seriousness, Anna had suddenly appeared out of nowhere with Alfonse in tow. I froze and just stared. He was… in swimwear… shirtless… it was all I could do to stop my mind from going down the gutter. In the words of Squidward Tentacles: "Oh no he's hot!"

"Kiran? Are you not feeling well?" Xander asked.

"Q-quite the c-contrary… S-spectacular even! I was just startled by the arrival of His Highness is all. He wasn't supposed to escort me home until much later."

Xander raised an eyebrow at me almost as if he found it hard to believe what I was saying. Perhaps my sudden use of titles when referring to Al was what tipped him off. Anna looked at me with a wink.

"A gift to thee oh mighty Summoner! Enjoy your day off you two!~" Anna then disappeared in a flash thanks to Nóatún's special ability.

"Anna! Wai- Darn it she's gone now" Al said, seemingly displeased.

"Umm… Al? What just happened here?"

"Anna was worried that you weren't spending your time actually relaxing so she 'recruited' me to check on you. She also thought I could benefit from taking a small break. I knew she wouldn't take no for an answer so I agreed." He grumbled

"I don't know which is worse… the fact that I can't even be trusted to take my mandatory vacation seriously or that Anna turned you into a doormat. Though… I suppose this is still a pleasant surprise. Honestly, if you had told me that you came because you just wanted to see me, I would be happy with that."

"I-is that so?" Alfonse asked

"Yeah. Do you honestly think that I wouldn't be happy to see you whenever the chance presents itself to me?" I teased

"N-not at all. I'm more concerned about the amount of work you've been doing lately… and how leaving it unfinished would make us both feel uneasy. Also… I have noticed that you've been doing my paperwork for me again. I can't have you do everything for me, Kiran."

"O-oh right… I did look through it when you were cursed. I just wanted to make things less stressful for you at the time. Though… I've bitten more off than I could chew again. I honestly don't know what I was thinking, taking on your work on top of my daily duties and following your father's orders."

"Admirable as your dedication to Alfonse is, I will not standby and watch as you overwork yourself to death. Instead of taking on an unmanageable workload, might I suggest only doing one task at a time whenever feasible? Of course taking breaks are important, but taking on several unnecessary tasks at once will not help your overall performance. Nor will it help your overall health." Xander chimed in.

"But… they all seemed equally important an-"

"Kiran. You need to stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You may be the 'legendary summoner' but you are still human. More importantly…" Alfonse hesitated to finish the rest of the sentence.

"More importantly what? Don't leave me hanging in suspense like that!" I asked impatiently like a bratty child.

"... I care about you. You're very important to me. We've been through a lot together and I don't want it to end that way."

"I can't promise that I'll do better right away but… I will always try to do my absolute best. So with that in mind, I want to ask you to do something for me. More accurately, I want you to do something with me on my next day off. It's not necessarily an urgent matter, but it's important. It's a personal matter that concerns the both of us. I'm hoping we could discuss it over some tea in the garden"

Both Xander and Alfonse looked at me perplexed by my request. "Kiran… since when did you start liking tea?" Xander asked

"Recently? I heard tea is an acquired taste for some people so I acquired it." It was a lie. I still don't like tea but I did know that Alfonse liked drinking it. His favourite was…. Darjeeling? I would have to ask Sharena again.

"What about the garden Kiran? You almost never go there." Alfonse asked, still a bit confused by her request to drink tea… outside.

"I thought it would be lovely if we had tea next the flowers I planted with all of the heroes. A girl has got to get fresh air once in a while, you know?"

"I suppose that that makes sense…" Alfonse said, seemingly buying into my white lie.

Xander sighed as if he knew that I was bluffing and that he was concerned that Al wasn't catching on. Gods bless Alfonse's soul. I'm apparently a horrible liar once you realize my obvious nervous tics. I'm surprised that he has never noticed it despite how much our time is spent together in some fashion.

"You're darn right it makes sense! It'll be super calm and relaxing. Anyway, I still have to teach a couple of people how to swim. I wasn't expecting you to show up so soon so I'm a bit booked at the moment… unless you feel like participating in my class that is." I gave him a playful wink. Geez it already felt like I was making it too obvious… I should've just waited until the impromptu tea party invitation I had made up just now. I really do feel like an idiot but I'll be damned if wasn't a good excuse to tactfully make plans to confess my feelings. I've been beating around the bush for far too long.

"I already know how to swim but I wouldn't mind watching while swimming with you"

"R-really? I m-mean that's great! The more the merrier!" I unconsciously took him by his hand, and dragged him to the water's edge. Xander followed us and chuckled to himself at the whole scene. Laegjarn rejoined us as well also taking note of the arrival of Al's arrival.

"Kiran… yo-you're holding my hand. I n-need you let go of me if we're going to swim." Al said awkwardly, his face blushing in embarrassment.

"I know… I was totally going to let go eventually anyways. Besides..." I then splash some water at Al and Xander with my foot.

"The water feels perfect. Xander do you have your flotation device with you still?" I ask

"Yes, my Lilith Floatie is ready to use"

"Good. We will use that later, but for now I just want all of us to just get used to the feeling of being in the water"

I then began instructing both Laegjarn and Xander. Hours pass while I taught some of the basics while Alfonse watched. It was fun but… unpleasant thoughts threatened to take over my mental space. It was odd trying to enjoy myself and to go on living my life as if nothing happened. Gustav's death was still ever fresh on my mind, my guilt caused by my involvement in his death plagued my dreams and my waking hours. The threats of total annihilation by a death goddess still loomed over me like a dark hazy cloud. Perhaps… that was why I had so desperately held onto the idea of that damned tea party. It was like a small glimmer of light in the darkness. I mean… part of me was afraid that if it all worked out and he returned my feelings then it would somehow jinx it and cause one of us to die in Hel somehow. However… I can't shake the feeling that if I don't do it, I will regret everything.

I then decided that I was done with teaching for the day. It was getting late anyway so I thought that it was for the best. I waved them goodbye and when they left, a confusing mix of emotions rushed through me like the tidal waves of this ocean. Mostly I felt sad because it meant that tomorrow was going to be business as usual but I also felt glad that it was just me and Al. While it was hard to truly enjoy my vacation due to the circumstances, I could still appreciate the beautiful sunset that now dyed the sky various shades of oranges, reds, and purples. Normally such sunsets would've been normal and mundane to me, but I realized that this may be the last time I could appreciate the light of the sun for a long while.

"The sunset really is breathtaking. I'm not surprised that you would want to take it in but… I can tell that something is troubling you" Alfonse said quietly

"Well… lots of things are troubling me but looking at this sunset… makes me feel like I'm saying goodbye. It's like the icing on top of a cake that looks pretty tasty at first but then when you eat it tastes dreadful. I'm going to say this right now… Hel terrifies me and we're marching into her realm tomorrow. I'm scared of what tomorrow will bring and yet I'm expected to pretend not to be. After all, the knights want their Prince and the Summoner to fearlessly lead them into battle. Lots of people are counting on us… I don't even know how you do it." I sighed, feeling almost defeated.

"I fear Death as much as you do, Kiran. Perhaps even more than that, but the Heroes and the Royal Knights don't want a fearless leader. What they really need is a leader who do what's best for Askr and their allies despite the fear and trepidation. Someone who has courage. That doesn't mean that we can't confide in each other when we are afraid."

"I guess that's true… I think your father would be proud of you already. I really do mean it. I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I don't know about that. Right now, I still have a long way to go before I'm anywhere near as good of a ruler as Father was. I miss him more than anything right now" tears threatened to roll down his face.

"You just need to give it some time. I will always be there to cheer you on. We'll make it out alive together. We just have to." I then hugged him, pressing my wet body against his.

"I know I have asked you this before but… promise that you'll never leave me. At least not without warning."

"Well I can't say no to that after all we've been through together. The only way you can make extra sure that I won't leave is if I marry you or your sister. I mean… if you like it you should put a ring on it, right?" I joked

"Please don't say that… it's a bit embarrassing. Besides I… I don't want you to marry Sharena." He was blushing furiously

"Oh really? That's too bad… I was planning on asking for her hand in marriage soon and I was hoping for you to give me your blessing. But… I guess my dreams have been dashed. Oh well… I guess I will have to live my life as an old maid now!" I said in an overly dramatic way. In actuality, I couldn't see Sharena as anything but a sister and I think she shares the same sentiment.

Al chuckled nervously, his face was still bright red. I must've made him super uncomfortable when I mentioned getting married to his sister. "I don't think that will be necessary. All I ask is for your friendship and support."

"You'll always have that from me. You will get nothing less than that. We'll shoulder each other's worries and problems together. Nothing will stop us because you are my other half. I promise."


	12. Highway to Hel

As we marched ever closer to the gate to Hel, Anna gave us the current rundown of how things were going to be handled. The Knights were now under the command of Queen Henriette and the new captain of Royal Knights. The previous captain had been slain during the previous battle and was now likely fighting under Hel's side. It really was cruel. I had met the captain on a few occasions and he was a good man. He deserved a hero's death rather than the puppet he has surely become.

"What do plan on doing, Alfonse?" Sharena asked.

"Well, Kiran and I have agreed that our next course of action is to go through the gate"

"Are you both insane? We'd have to slip through thousands of undead troops! Do you really mean for us to scout the land of the dead?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"I mean… I might be slightly crazy since I'm the one who even agreed to go to war three times for a country that I wasn't born into in the first place… but I guarantee that this is the best way for us to move forward. It is highly plausible for us to slip through the gate if we are stealthy enough. The Order of Heroes is perfect for an operation like this, right Alfonse?"

"I agree. I have done some research in the library and while I found a few promising passages in the library, none of it was concrete. The best way we can learn about our enemy is to go into her territory."

"I must concede to Kiran's point. We are small enough to conduct an operation. I still don't like it though." Anna sighed in defeat.

"You'll get yourselves killed. Mother wants the annihilation of all life starting with Askr. If you march in there, you are essentially giving her exactly what she wants. She could kill you all as she pleases. She will not be defied." Eir warned

"I don't think that it's so simple. She can kill us all very easily, that much is certain. However, Alfonse and I believe that there's a weakness. Alfonse would you care to explain your hypothesis to everyone here to get them up to speed?" I grinned. My synergy with Al was extremely on point today.

"Gladly. If Hel had the power to wipe out life as we know it clean off the map, then it would be fair to assume that she would have succeeded by now. What this means is that there is a limit to her power. Hel's curse lasts nine days and she has to show her face to lay down the curse and to kill the recipient of said curse at the end of the nine day period. This, combined with the fact that she can only target one person at a time, has led me to believe that she has a weakness. It's only a matter of finding it. I know that this is a dangerous mission, and that we might not come back, but I'm more than confident that Kiran can help us get in and out safely. "

"I won't let you down Al. I will be carefully planning all of our moves and we have Eir. My tactics should at least help keep everyone from becoming shish kabobed by Hel's scythe."

"I think Kiran is right. If there is a good chance that we could defeat Hel, then I am ready to go. Let's go." Sharena said.

"Death can't be defied so easily. Are you sure you have thought this through?" Eir asked quietly.

"We have. If we continue to fight Hel from the outside, our numbers will continue to dwindle and her numbers will grow. The longer we engage her army, the chances of our survival grow ever slimmer." Al confirmed

" The best way to fix that is to infiltrate Hel with a small party of Heroes and avoid fighting her main force as much as possible. We'll be targeting Líf and Thrasir first. We can't kill what's already dead but we can still defeat them and try to get information from them. It's not much to go on but it's much better than continuing a battle of attrition that we obviously can't win" I explained to Eir.

"Do you not fear my mother?" Eir asked weakly.

"Quite the opposite. I'm very much afraid of Hel. But it's as Kiran has said many times before. We can't just sit and wait, cowering in fear. We would accomplish nothing by doing that. We must face the problem head on" Al answered her honestly

"And what about you Kiran? I have seen you struggle the most and yet… your actions from a few days suggest that you do not fear death." Eir said softly, referring to when I shielded Alfonse from Hel.

"Well, I believe that your observation is waaaaayy off. Your mom scares the heck out of me. Let me tell you something, Eir. You are talking to the girl who slept with a spiderman night light on in my bedroom until the age of eight. I was afraid that a monster was hiding under my bed and if I didn't have a light it would gobble me up alive. Your mom's like that except she is not a product of my childhood paranoia and if she wanted to, she could try to actually eat me alive. I don't know how, but she's a death goddess so I am not discounting the possibility. It's just that I've already come so far, it would be a shame if all my efforts went to waste before we had the chance to win"

"Heh… I also used to fear monsters when I was younger. Though I wasn't as dedicated to it as you were, Kiran. It's funny... the things that I have in common with you, I mean. Hel is no product of our imaginations, she is the real deal. We must defeat her and I know we can do it. There is always a thread. If you pull on it, unravels. We just need to find that thread." Al said with determination.

"Kiran… I have a question. Who is Spiderman and why did you have a nightlight of him?" Sharena asked

"He's a comic book hero with super powers that are spider themed. He has super strength equal to that of a spider, he can climb walls and shoot spider webs to fight crime. I can't go into further details, because we're about to head into enemy territory. Just in case you haven't noticed already"

Eir sighed to herself in defeat. I guess she knew all too well that when both Al and I were set in our plans and ideas, there was no use in arguing. Our stubborn streaks were definitely coming out in full force.

We continued to slowly make our way through the onslaught of the undead soldiers while we made our journey to the gate. Some of them were heroes that were contracted to serve Hel. I had been wondering who was contracting these heroes because it sure as heck wasn't me or Veronica. Perhaps… Líf was the first king of Askr, so it's possible that along with creating the aether castles and being able to open up gates to other worlds, he would be able to forge contracts using some kind of ancient rite bullshit that I am not aware of? Honestly, it's a bit of a stretch though. Something was off about this whole thing, but I didn't know what yet. There was very little that I actually knew about Líf and Thrasir. Thrasir less so, since Veronica wasn't exactly the friendliest of lolis. Alfonse, on the other hand, would be more than happy to supply more info on his ancestor. I made a mental note to ask him about Líf later.

When we finally managed to go through the gate however, I was greeted by more undead and- "Alfonse! Alfonse! L-look over there… Is that F-Father?" Sharena's face became extremely pallid as she pointed at something, or rather, someone.

When I saw him, I felt all of the color leave my face. It was the late King. His skin was now a dull lifeless ashy color and his eyes were red. But why was he here at the gate? I took a moment to collect myself. My guess was that Hel wanted to scare Alfonse away or for him to falter and make a fatal error. Psychological warfare essentially. It was too cruel and I was the one who put King Gustav in this situation. Now we must fight him and his battalion of undead soldiers.

"Father… but why?" Alfonse nearly whispered.

"Those who are slain by Mother's curse become fodder for her army. Mother… this is too cruel!" Eir somehow also seemed distressed by the sight of the dead king.

"Alfonse! I have become Hel's puppet. Even now my body ignores my will. You must strike me down."

Alfonse hesitated. It was as if he had suffered from an invisible wound. One that was nearly fatal. I could feel it too but in a different way from him. It was his emotional heart that was wounded, only now it was festering and the stitches from yesterday's momentary reprieve had dehisced. For me it was a wound of the soul… well I'm not sure if that was an accurate way to describe it but looking at His Highness made me feel acutely aware of the sins crawling on my back. It was an albatross hanging around my neck, the guilt that I felt. If the Christian god and the Devil existed, then surely I would not be welcomed by angels at the pearly gates of Heaven. I did help to kill him after all. To paraphrase from Shakespeare's play Macbeth: "Out, damned spot! Out I say!- Yet who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him"

Yes… the scene kept replaying in my mind over and over again. There really was a lot of blood that had spilled from his body. The sound of Hel's scythe piercing flesh in metal had always stuck with me. The thane of Fife had a wife… but I knew where Henriette was. The knowledge that at least one other person knew what had happened behind the scenes was only a small comfort to me, but I felt like the stains on my hand will never be clean again. It felt rather silly to compare myself to Lady Macbeth though… she and her husband killed Duncan for her own ambition and I… killed Gustav so that his son could continue living. It was still a bitter pill for me to swallow.

"Father I…" Alfonse was choking back his own tears.

"Alfonse, you must listen. If you waver now, then you lack the fortitude to become King of Askr. Show Hel that you will not flinch! Even if she makes an enemy of your own blood. You must be the shield that protects your friends and family. Never forget that."

"I understand, Father. I will do what must be done." Alfonse steeled himself for battle, taking Folkvanger out of its sheath and pointed it at his own father. The sadness that he had shown earlier was replaced with a look of determination in his eyes. I knew that he was still deeply saddened by his father's death and fighting him was never something that he had wanted. However, the flames of determination still grew ever hotter now that he knew what had to be done. Just looking at him… it didn't necessarily assuage my guilt but it gave me a small amount of hope. It reminded me of what I must do too.

"Alfonse, it looks like your father only has a few other soldiers with him. I think that reinforcements are highly likely so be on your guard. I also don't know how strong he is, so we're going to have to be extra cautious in handling him."

"Understood. I'll be awaiting your orders, Kiran." Alfonse said.

"Eir, would you be so kind as to dispatch that mage over there? The sooner we get rid of them, the safer it will be for us to handle the others. Avoid that bow cavalier though, she looks strong."

Eir simply nodded and flew over to the northwest of the battleground to execute my orders. I knew that she would be able to weaken them enough for Sharena to finish them off with Fensalir. "Sharena would you kindly follow Eir and help her fight off that pegasus knight?"

"You got it! I'm on it!" Sharena then followed Eir.

"Anna, I want you to go after that bow cavalier. She is potentially the biggest threat to us besides His Highness so she must be eliminated. I suspect that she is a hero placed under contract. That pegasus knight also looks like she is under Hel's contract. She reminds me of Shanna a little bit."

"I believe they are Sue and Thea from the world of Binding. Thea is Shanna's older sister."

"All the more reason why we need to end this battle quickly before reinforcements arrive. I'll send Alfonse with you to take care of Sue. Sue is green haired bow cav right?"

"Affirmati- but wait! Who is going to guard you from the enemy?" Anna asked

"I can summon a hero for me if things get dire. Not to mention, I can call on you for help and you can use Noátun to teleport to me. And if that doesn't work…I brought my dagger with me. Admittedly I'm still not great with a throwing knife, but it's still better than nothing."

"Kiran I don't feel comfortable with leaving you by yourself I really think you shou-" Alfonse said.

I interrupted him, my patience was running out. "We have no time to argue over this! Just go before someone on our side gets killed!" I nearly screeched out.

Both of them looked like they were frustrated and defeated but they both eventually left to carry out my orders. I hid myself somewhere in the shadows where I had hoped to be less visible to the enemy. Though… I wasn't so sure that it would be a viable strategy, since it was the land of the dead and it was covered in darkness. I then quietly began the summoning rite. Summoning heroes in places other than the summoning ruins were not as good for summoning super powerful heroes but I just needed one hero who could help me in case of a surprise attack.

I loaded a red orb into Briedablik and pulled the trigger. With a flash of light, Chrom was summoned while riding atop a horse. But as soon as he appeared I felt a terrible wave of pain coursing through my body. Just moving my legs was a chore and I had the ultimate migraine of migraines.

"Are you alright Summoner?"

"We're in Hel, Chrom. I feel like I am in Hell too. Ugh… my head…" I said massaging the top of my head and then my temples.

"I see that now. What is your name? I would feel more comfortable if I can call you by your name. I'm not much for formalities."

"You and all the other princes I have met as a Summoner… but I guess that makes you a different Chrom from the one I summoned a while ago. Would make sense since you don't remember me. My name is Kiran. Im am the summoner and tactician of Order of Heroes. It's sort of like the Shepherds but for the kingdom of Askr. I can give you more details, but as you can see, that'll have to wait until after His Highness isn't trying to kill us."

Chrom looked at me with a look of slight confusion but I knew that he would agree to help me if I was in trouble. Robin told me that Chrom was the one that had found him sleeping on the ground in Ylisse and trusted him despite having only just met him. The other Robin told me the exact same thing happened to her too.

"Kiran! Look out!" Chrom then raced to block an attack that was meant for me with his Exalted Falchion. My attacker was none other than the Late King himself. I was honestly shocked because I thought Hel would make him attack his own son first for her own sick and twisted amusement. I jumped out of the way in an attempt to avoid an early grave and actual damnation. Albeit a damnation the was definitely different from the kind of damnation that was often mentioned by the priest of the church my mother went to, but a damnation all the same.

For whatever reason, Hel was hellbent (pun mostly unintended) on having Gustav murder me. How rude. Well to be fair, I knew it wasn't his fault, but I'm not even the biggest threat to Hel at the moment. I can barely fight for my own life so I am probably the furthest from killing Hel, if that was even possible to begin with. Chrom tries to get in a few stabs but Gustav had managed to ignore all of it and went straight for me again. This was utter madness! I know I told her that she would have to pry Al from my cold dead hands but I don't think that would've caused her to have some weird hate boner for me.

In the meantime, I had to put the Five D's of dodgeball into good use. Duck, Dodge, Dive, Dip and… Dodge. In that exact order. Except instead of a ball, it was a very sharp axe. If you can dodge a dodgeball, you can dodge an axe trying to cleave into your skull.

"You have improved. My apologies… I do not wish to raise my axe against you but Hel has full control over me. You must… call for my son." Gustav said almost apologetically. Well, he was apologizing for his lack of control over his body but he still very much kept his commanding presence, even in death. It was then that I knew what I had to do. It was extremely risky but I promised him that I would keep Al on the right path. I pulled out my silver dagger and ordered Chrom to leave me and fetch Alfonse to come fight against his father. While Chrom could theoretically defeat him as he was just as skilled as Gustav but I'm already neck deep in an ocean of shit when it comes to my reluctant partnership with the King, so I decided to honor his wishes.

It was tempting to pull out another orb and summon another healer but… It made me feel apprehensive. The pain from the last summoning was still lingering in my body. If the pain was caused by summoning then… I wasn't sure if summoning another hero would affect me adversely. Well I could certainly withstand it again if absolutely necessary but… God I am an idiot. I could die here and I am throwing my life away out of a gross sense of sentimentality. All for a dumb promise I made to a dead man that's swinging an axe at me currently.

I barely managed to block another attack with my dagger. I was still feeling weak from summoning Chrom but I knew I couldn't let up, even if my body wanted to do just that. I cannot die here! However, I wasn't strong enough… none of my attacks actually did anything to him. I was barely trained with my dagger and he had many years of fighting and training under his belt. I needed to think of something to do that could turn the fight around in my favor. If brute force and speed wasn't going to cut it, then I needed to outsmart the puppeteer that was controlling His Majesty. But… how? My mind was coming up with several scenarios as I continued to dodge his attacks. I had one idea that didn't end up with dying right away.

It was time to use the Knight family secret technique. One that I intend to pass down to my children one day… "Run away!!!!" I shouted before turning tail and sprinting away as fast as I could. Of course this wasn't going to last long since he was on a horse but I have a plan… I think. Think Kiran, Think!

That's when it occurred to me. I could use Hel against Hel. More specifically the surroundings of Hel. I was going to turn the geography of Hel into a weapon of my own making. A weapon that could throw her off of me long enough for the prince to save my dumb ass. A cursory glance would tell most people that there isn't much to the terrain here except for some cracks and holes in the ground and some crumbled down pillars. There was also a large pit of darkness in the center of the area, which was probably most likely bottomless. It would absolutely kill me if I fell in it... but perhaps I could lure Gustav into falling in there. Just the thought of actually doing the killing with my own hands made me feel queasy. I had to tell myself that Gustav was already dead and that there was no sense in weeping over pushing a corpse into the pit. I wouldn't survive the rest of the campaign into Hel if I got emotional over killing people who were technically already dead. I wondered if these kinds of thoughts were similar to what went through Dad's mind when he was deployed in Afghanistan. All I knew was that he came out of it a different man.

In order to slow down Gustav, I decided to make it as hard as possible for him to chase me down on his mount. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest at a rapid pace. I didn't go directly for the pit either, since I needed the element of unpredictability on my side. If Hel can't predict my next move, then I can slow down Gustav just enough for me to not die before I can enact my grand plan.

"Kiran! What are you doing?" Alfonse shouted from the across the battlefield just after he had defeated Sue.

"Giving your father a run for his money! Outta my way!" I shouted as I jumped over a knocked over pillar. I quietly thanked myself for enduring the daily exercise drills Fredrick puts everyone through. I doubt I would have had the endurance for all of this running I'm doing otherwise.

"Kiran, Stop!" Anna frantically held out Noátun to teleport to me.

"I can't stop. I need to keep running!" I shouted back at her.

I was almost at the pit of darkness. Anna arrived right on cue as I approached the pit. "Anna could you keep him busy for me while I think of my next move?"

"You're insane! Why did you send Chrom over our way? Why didn't you call for me like you said you would?"

"Change of plans. I made a promise and I intend to keep it!"

"I understand what Kiran is trying to do, Anna. I do not doubt that she knows what she is doing. I believe that she knows what must be done. The only question that remains is if she will falter and hesitate. For my son, she must stand on top. I cannot control myself so my only option is to trust that Kiran and Alfonse will find a way together." Gustav said clearly struggling to take back control of himself. He wasn't succeeding but I appreciate his attempts at not murdering me all the same. I'm honestly surprised that he was willing to put his trust in me like that.

"You may be my enemy now, but I'll be damned if I lose. I promised that I will help Alfonse become king…" I then stabbed his mount with my dagger. Gustav swung his axe at me once more, seemingly completely disinterested with Anna's attacks. I wrenched my dagger out of his mount and stabbed it again. I just needed to knock his horse down. But the horse did not cry out in pain or even flinch. It was like that mage knight we fought a few days before Gustav died. It was rather unnerving but… I couldn't afford to think about it much. After all, I am going to be fighting a lot more dead people in the future. I was literally in Hel, after all.

"Anna! I need you to help me out. I need you to attack the horse first."

"I'm not sure what you are trying to do, but… o.k. I'll do it." She then nodded at me and started attacking Gustav's horse.

"Aim for the knees, slowly move forward. I'll give further instructions when the timing is right"

"Come on… fall over already you stupid horse zombie!" I angrily thought to myself.

After much effort, we had managed immobilized Gustav's horse. Technically Anna did most of the work but together, we pushed Gustav off of his horse all the same. While he was slightly less threatening on a horse, Gustav was no slouch and was not any less dangerous on foot. Removing his horse simply restricted his movement. I just now needed to push him into the pit… It felt terrible that I would feel happy about killing him again but my will to live is strong and so… I would be glad if I came out of this alive.

In the distance, I could hear the flapping of pegasus wings. I hoped it was Eir and Sherena because I spotted reinforcements earlier and among them was a flying archer. Even if Eir was their princess, I knew that the dead would not hesitate to kill her if Hel commanded it.

"Kiran! Watch out!" Sharena cried out as Gustav took another swing at me. I dodged, but only just barely. I was real close to getting my head chopped off. I made a mental note to spoil her relentlessly when the war is over. She did save my life, after all. A gust of wind hit Gustav hard enough to make him flinch. Don't tell me...

"Wait... are you telling me that the smell of rotten eggs that I smelled while marching here was you?" I screeched at Sharena who was still flying on Lyfja's back with Eir. I tried to focus on weakening Gustav with my throwing dagger since I really didn't want to think about how Sharena managed to bring Munin's Egg into Helheim.

"Why not? It's good for weakening enemies, you know!"

"Nevermind that! Don't let up on him even if he is… j-just keep firing!" I decided not to remind her that she was fighting her own late father.

Chrom then rode in with Alfonse riding with him. Alfonse jumped off of Chrom's horse and joined the fight against his father. Slowly but surely, we pushed the fight back even closer to the pit. Blades clashed against each other. I was certain that Alfonse could win against his father for sure since the effect Munin's Egg severely weakened His Majesty enough for even me to cut him. There was also the fact that Alfonse had an advantage with his sword and the fact that they were nearly evenly matched in skill. I sent Anna to deal with the rest of the reinforcements of which there we were few thanks to Eir's chillingly precise use of her daggers.

When all was said and done I had once again heard the familiar sound of a blade going through armor and flesh. It was then time seemed to slow down around me, as if I was aware of every millisecond that had passed by me. Folkvanger was sticking of the late king's chest but… there was no blood this time. The sight of it was even more chilling than the first time but… I knew that we must move onwards. War does not wait to claim it's next victim, afterall.

"This is as it should be. You did well... my son."

"Father! No please don't go!" Sharena cried out. Alfonse clenched his teeth together trying to stay strong for all of us.

"Alfonse… Sharena… I love you both. Never forget that."

More tears fell from Sharena's eyes. Watching this scene unfold before me… it was almost surreal to me. The adrenaline flowing through my system made it feel like I was experiencing a fever dream. Slowly I could feel the pain from the summoning return to me and I was again reminded that this was real. It was then that I could feel Gustav's eyes bore right through me. His soul piercing gaze still hasn't changed.

"Kiran… the decisions you have made… the promise... never regret it…"

"You are asking a lot for a dead man, Your Highness. Very well… I will carry it out just like I promised. I'll carry it to my grave if I must. With that said… you know what I must do now…"

"Do what you must. I've made my peace."

"You… you… I find that hard to believe. I… never wanted any of this! Im sorry!" Tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks as I ripped out Folkvanger and pushed him into the pit. Everyone around me stared at me in shock. My head began to throb like crazy and I just wanted to collapse right then and there.

"Kiran… what's going on? Are you alright?" Sharena asks

"No… I don't think I am… I…"

"Kiran… what was Father talking about? He mentioned a promise you've made." Alfonse looked at me solemnly.

"I'm afraid… I cannot tell you any of the details. He made me promise not to tell you or Sharena anything. Or to be more precise, there are things that he wanted me to keep a tight lid on. I don't wholly agree with his wish for me remain silent since it involves you in particular but… I understand why. Before he died, there were a few things he asked me to do in case he was ever killed in action. The first thing was the thing I can't talk about, but he also made me promise him that I would protect you and Sharena and to help you in any way I can. I agreed to that almost without a second thought. I suppose it's a bit silly to ask the girl who can't even swing a weapon properly to protect the son who has been trained to do exactly that for most of his life. Either way… I will do as he wishes because I want to help, even if it means getting a little blood on my hands." I sighed at the bit about getting my hands dirty and bloody. I never wanted to kill him… especially not twice. This time, I did it with my own two hands.

My legs felt like jelly and they were shaking uncontrollably. I then fell down to the ground onto my knees. I simply didn't have any strength left in me to stand on my own. I rubbed my temples, trying to massage the pain away. Sharena and Eir rushed to my aid while Alfonse glared at me. I wasn't sure why he was glaring at me, I just knew that he wasn't pleased with me.

"That's odd…" Eir said as she took a closer look at me. While she didnt use staves, Eir had some knowledge in first aid. A skill that she must've learned for herself, being the only denizen of Hel that was still alive.

"Is something wrong with Kiran?" Anna asked

"I'm fine… I'm just exhausted from all of the running I was doing." I denied.

"I don't think so. I'm going to need a healer to confirm this but you seem to be experiencing some form of magical exhaustion."

"That shouldn't be possible. I haven't brought my thunder tome with me."

"Well… maybe we can summon a healer to take a look at her! We can't have our friend die on us already." Sharena said

"I don't need a healer I'm fine. I just need some rest."

"No. You are going to get it looked at. Sharena is right. We cannot afford to lose you…" Alfonse looked at me dead straight in the eye. He was definitely upset with me.

I winced at the thought of doing another summoning. I was still recovering from the pain of the first one. I continued to protest but Al was being stubborn again and was continuing to push for me to summon for a healer.

"Excuse me… Prince Alfonse was it? I have something to say" Chrom interrupted us mid argument.

"The floor is yours, Chrom." Alfonse said slightly taken aback by Chrom's interruption.

"When Kiran summoned me she seemed to be in a lot of pain. She had no physical wounds on her but she was complaining about having a headache. I don't think she is in a state to be summoning anything right now."

"Kiran… why haven't you told me this sooner?"

"I didnt want to slow everyone down. So many people are counting on us to defeat Hel and I… I just hope that this just a fluke but there were way too many things that point to Hel actively trying to make me suffer if not outright kill me. I knew going in that I would eventually get targeted as I am the weakest link of the army but… I'm not sure why Hel would single me out like this."

"What makes you think she's singling you out, Kiran?"

"Up until I entered the realm of the dead, I had no problems summoning. I summoned Chrom here and suddenly I was in such agony… my whole body was in pain. Never once have I had this problem in the two and a half years that I have been in the Order until today. After that, your father went straight for me. We both know he wasn't in full control of his own body. Who else would be puppeteering your father but the goddess of death herself? I just don't understand why…"

"I'm not sure Kiran. For now just stay close to me. When we find a proper place to set up camp, I want you to rest. We'll have to keep summoning down to a minimum for now. I refuse to let you overexert yourself."

"I… Understood. I cannot fulfill my promise to you if I'm dead. There's a high chance that someone will die in our bid to defeat Hel, but I want to do the impossible and get all of us out alive. I was always going to be by your side. I care about everyone here. You and I.. we're a team. It's going to take a lot to convince me to leave you."

"In that case… can you stand now? It's going to be a long time before we can go back home."

"I think I might need some assistance. Could you help me stand up, please?" I asked

Alfonse then offered his hand and I took ahold of it. He pulled me up but when I stood up, my legs began to shake and I found myself leaning against him. My face flushed immediately and I mentally cursed myself. Now is not the time for love. But his hands were warm… and I could hear his heart beating at a steady pace. It was comforting in a way, but I needed to focus on moving to somewhere that was safer.

"Don't worry. You can lean on me for now, until you regain your strength."

"T-thank you. I appreciate your help."

After that, there was barely a word exchanged between us. It was just us and the rest of the Order walking deeper and deeper into Hel. We eventually set up camp inside an abandoned fort hours later. It was hard to tell if was day or night so when we found the fort, we decided to get some rest and recuperate our strength while we still could. When everyone fell asleep, I decided to secretly try to summon a cleric. I succeeded in doing so, but the price of the recoil caused me to fall down and hit the ground once more. The last thing I could remember before I blacked out was a sweet and gentle sounding blonde girl wearing a shawl and had her hair tied up into a side ponytail.

**A/N:****I finally got my grubby hands on Fire Emblem Three Heroe- I mean Fire Emblem Three Houses (Lame joke I know, but I am Ferdiand von Aegir). The only thing stopping me from letting the game consume me in it's entirety is Joycon drift and the whole thing where my boyfriend and I are sharing custody of the switch he bought last winter. We live a few towns away from each other so gas is really expensive and only get to see each other once a month. Anyway, Three Houses gave me a few ideas for a spin off fic but I am going to wait a while because ADHD makes it hard for me to focus on more than one project. I have already finished Crimon Flower Route and Im almost at the timeskip point for the Golden Deer. According to my BF Feer the Dear and Blue Cinnamon rolls are longer than Crimson flower and Golden deer get Atar Shattering Star amd a dubstep song. I feel slightly ripped off for choosing Edelgard first now. Also, Mercedes is in here now even though she doesnt show up in Heroes cannon untill much later. Luckily I'm not going to to completely stick with the cannon of Heroes .****Also, the idea of Sharena carrying a rotten egg just to give herself triangle advantage over blue units is vaguely funny enough to me for me to decide to put it in. Of course I couldnt help but make a Jojo reference. I guess for all intents and purposes, Kiran's last name is going to be Knight. It's not a hugely important detail but I still intend on using it unless I find something more... fitting? I tried to channel Joeseph Joestar a bit for this chapter but i dont know if I executed that very well. **


	13. Sacrifice

"Kiran! Wake up! Kiran!" Alfonse said while shaking me awake.

"Ughhh… my head… curse that stupid hag…" I muttered while still half awake.

"Kiran how many fingers am I holding up?" Anna asked while holding up three of her fingers.

"Im fine Anna. It's three fingers. More importantly… where the heck is the marshmallow girl? I owe her an apology" I groaned.

"Marshmallow? Don't you mean Mercedes, Kiran?" Anna asked with concern.

"I didn't know her name because I blacked out before I could ask her. Her hair is a little floofy, like a marshmallow so that's what I called her."

"It's all right Kiran… Professor Eisner calls me Marshmallow sometimes too. I'm Mercedes by the way! Prince Alfonse has already filled me in on everything, so you don't need to worry about the details. What's more important is that head injury and the magical exhaustion you are having trouble with. I need you to sit still for just one moment, please."

I swore this girl was heavenly. Her healing abilities and her angelic voice instantly obliterated all of the pain I was feeling. The warmth of the healing magic radiating through my body was comforting to me.

"Mercedes, I am in your debt. Every summoning has been agonizing for me and summoning heroes is part of my job. I'm sorry you had to see me collapse like that. I'm kinda embarrassed that I fell asleep before I could introduce myself properly. So um… Im Kiran Knight, and as you may have heard from my friends, I am the summoner and tactician of the Order of Heroes. "

"You're very sweet. Now you must remember… do not overdo it with your magic. I've never seen anyone this magically drained."

"I wasn't using magic exactly. I was just using Breidablik. I wouldn't dare bring my tome with me when I can barely control my own aim. I'd end up hurting my allies instead of hurting my enemies with how bad I am at magic"

"Is it possible that Briedablik uses a bit of your magic energy when you summon heroes?" Mercedes asked a bit unsure of how this could be happening to me.

"Unfortunately, there's not much I know about Breidablik. I mean I know a lot about how some of it sort of works, but I don't know why it works. I don't even know if the orbs are a power source, or if I am somehow subconsciously providing energy to it. I just load it with orbs and pull the trigger. Sometimes… I feel like it's speaking to me. It doesn't 'talk' persay, but sometimes I will take it out, and suddenly I know that I'll have a higher chance of summoning for certain heroes. There's a lot more to it, but if I try to explain everything in one go, we'd actually be dead before we finish."

"Oh my… it certainly sounds a lot like the Heroes Relics from my world. It seems like a weapon beyond our mortal understanding… I am sure that Professor Hanneman would be interested in it if he ever saw it. Do you happen to have a Crest?"

"Probably not. I don't even know what a Crest is, but I've never been to your world so I very much doubt that." I said, shaking my head at her.

"I see… at any rate, I've decided to stick with you from now on. If you're going to be going against death, you are going to need all the healing you can get. I'll be praying to the goddess for your victory and safety." Mercedes said, with her voice sounding sweet like honey.

"Thank you for agreeing to help Kiran. I'm afraid she has a terrible habit of pushing herself too much. I can't help but worry for her wellbeing, especially since we are in enemy territory." Al's face scrunched up.

"Gee thanks for your vote of confidence there, Al. I know I'm a serial workaholic, but I'm just doing everything I can to help you guys win this war. If we can manage that, then..."

"All I am saying is that I don't want you to risk your health just for us. That stunt you did earlier… I don't know what I'd do if you got yourself killed. I care about you… and I do not wish to fight you if you meet your end here.You promised me that you wouldn't recklessly endanger yourself"

"It's sweet of you to worry about me but… we are at war, you know. There's a real possibility that any of us here could die. If I die here… do not hesitate to shove a blade through me if I show up to fight you from beyond the grave. I will do everything I can to make sure you and Sharena stay alive. It would pain me greatly if you die. Promise me that you'll do everything to stay alive and I will keep my promises and stay close to you."

"Of course, Kiran. I wouldn't have it any other way. It makes us even in a way."

Mercedes giggled at little at this exchange.

"Mercedes… why are you laughing?" Asked Sharena.

"Oh nothing… I was just thinking about how dedicated Kiran and Prince Alfonse are to each other. It's almost like the classic story books in Fódlan. They are very sweet with each other."

"I dunno about it being sweet… I just value the time I spend with Al. We are partners after all." I say, while trying to hide the fact that I could feel my face turning beet red.

"A-agreed. Anyway, I think it's best that we continue onward for now. Do you think you can stand now?" Al asked extending out his arm to help me up

I nodded. "Yeah I think I can stand on my own now. I'll let you know if I start feeling unwell again. I don't want to slow us down on the account of my own mistakes." I then took his hand and got up. I felt a bit wobbly at first, but after a minute or two, I regained my strength and balance.

"If you ever feel like you can't stand on your own, I will let you fly with me and Lyfja. What Mother is doing to you is cruel. I don't fully understand why she is doing this to you. On your own, you are relatively harmless. Unless…" Eir fell silent. Her face looked a bit more morose than usual.

"Is there something you know about her condition, Eir?" Anna asked.

"Only a theory. The weapon Kiran uses to summon Heroes… it can bring Heroes bound to Kiran's contract back from the dead if they fall in battle, correct?"

"Yeah. I try to minimize the deaths though. I can only imagine what it would be like to be killed over and over again. I don't wish to subject them to that." I replied

"A weapon that can be used to cheat death… I think I understand why Hel would target her now. Is it enough to be a threat to her?" Al didn't look too happy about this new bit of information, but part of him seemed hopeful to get a new lead on a possible weakness on Hel.

"No, but it's enough to earn her ire. You saw it earlier didn't you? The way King Gustav had seemed to fixate all of his attacks on her. I'm certain that she is intent on killing her." Eir sighed.

"Well color me shocked. A death goddess wants me dead. I knew what I signed up for so this doesn't change much for me. The only thing this changes is how we will need to approach our strategies. Eir, do you know where Hel is?"

Eir nodded. "I know where her stronghold is. I can take you there. Follow me I know the fastest route."

"Thank you Eir. I just hope we don't encounter too many enemy troops. I'm not sure if I'm physically ready to run circles around an undead army just yet"

"I can't guarantee that we won't run into Mother's generals, but where we are going… there won't be many of her troops there. The place we are going to go through is no longer in use, so Mother wouldn't be guarding it heavily."

"Fair enough, but let's still be cautious. Alfonse stay with me. Chrom, I want you to let Mercedes ride with you for now. Anna, I want you go ahead and scout the area as we go. Use Noátun if anyone gets too close. Sharena, I want you to stay close to Eir and make sure to keep any stray arrows away from her." I said giving out orders to everyone.

Eir then flew ahead and we followed her into the vast and dark expanse of Hel. It was the first time I could really take in the scenery. Well… it wasn't exactly scenic per say, but that would be because Hel wasn't exactly a colorful and lively place to begin with.

"This place really is as they say. It's dark as a crypt... We really are in Helheim." Alfonse said aloud to himself.

"Yeah… it's pretty surreal to me. If it weren't for the inhabitants trying to kill us, I would wonder if this were a dream of some sort." I muttered

"This land is ruled by my mother. After death, those who deserve nothing more than eternal suffering come to reside here. The dead gather here from all the realms, and each soul that enters Helheim grant my mother more strength and power."

"What about you Princess Eir? Are you… one of the dead?" Alfonse asked with curiosity.

"I think she is alive. She sure doesn't look like any of the dead we've encountered so far" I supplied

"Yeah I agree with Kiran. Remember Líf and Thrasir? They have those weird glowing see-through body parts and you can see their bones. It's kinda freaky and gross, honestly. But look at you Eir! Your skin is positively glowing! A dead person can't possibly have skin that good." Sharena said.

"My… skin?" Eir looked at her with confusion

"I've always sort of assumed that you were alive. I mean... I suppose it would be natural to assume that you could be dead, considering that you are the princess of Hel. I have been watching you for awhile and based on my observations, I have a hard time believing that you would be dead." I say calmly.

"Yes, I am mortal. I can't rise again like my mother's troops can… sometimes… I would wish for my own permanent death. If I could die and rise up like they could, then perhaps Mother would look at me. I'm practically worthless to her alive."

"Eir…" Al was quite speechless when he heard her confession.

"That's… Awful! I have no words that can describe my disgust towards her right now… it's sickening to me." I balled up my fists tightly. I always sort of knew that Hel was cruel and uncaring but… even her own daughter was given this treatment.

We were then approached by Lif, who had seemingly came out of nowhere. His eyes glared at us. His killing intent had made it clear enough just from that alone, but his entire body exuded a murderous aura. There was also this weird sense of familiarity that I just could not shake off of my mind. I tried telling myself that since Líf was the first king of Askr, that maybe it was just the family resemblance to Alfonse but… somehow, that didn't feel like it was the right answer. I kept getting the feeling that we knew each other. I mean we've met before a few times as enemies but… it felt like I was seeing an old friend. Again, Alfonse and Líf were distantly related so maybe I was just misattributing my feelings of friendship towards Líf as them looking alike and possibly sharing some of the same mannerisms. Líf was much more cruel and cold and that's where the difference was. Alfonse was serious, yet warm and kind. None of it was making sense to me.

"You again." Lif said moodily.

"Líf... First King of Askr." Alfonse said.

"The land of the dead is not for the likes of mortals, living boy. That goes double for the girl with the ancient relic. I could crush her windpipe in half easily." Líf then literally went straight for my throat. That was a big mistake on his part.

I've never seen Al so… angry before. You could practically see the steam coming out of his ears as he protected me from Líf's attack. Alfonse countered his opponent and the battle began in earnest. It all felt like a blur to me… but one thing that stood out to me as a strategist was the way Líf commanded his own troops. His sword was quite powerful, so much so that it hurt even his own allies. The most interesting part was that they were equipped in such a way that getting hurt only made them stronger and faster. This made getting rid of Líf a top priority for my plans. I shouted out orders to everyone, all while staying close to Al like I had promised.

I was starting to worry about Al since he was beginning to let his anger get the best of him. I had Mercedes stay close to us incase he got too reckless and got himself injured. I paid special attention to Alfonse's movements and the way he handled his sword. He was starting to get sloppy and it wasn't going to be long until Líf notices this and tries to take advantage of it. I wasn't going to let Alfonse die like this.

"Alfonse! You need to calm down and focus! I need you to stay alive!" I shouted.

"I'll be fine! Don't worry about me! I won't allow him to harm you!"

"I know, but don't get too carried away!"

Alfonse's blade intersected Líf's blade kinda like how you see it in the movies where the two opposing blades are pushing on each other. Sparks were flying from the friction between them. I wondered if I should step in and somehow give him an edge. If Al dies, it would mean his father's sacrifice would mean nothing in the end. My heart would break too, but the state of my heart would be inconsequential to the greater picture here. If Al dies, Sharena would be left to take over Askr. I knew that it wouldn't be an arrangement that she would be happy with. More importantly… I fear that Askr wouldn't be very stable if he died and we survived. At the very least, the kingdom would be weakened enough to make invasions from Embla much easier for them. Veronica would definitely try to take over Askr if Alfonse died.

"Kiran I know what you are thinking! Don't. I'll deal with it."

"Then go for the knees! You're shorter than him so he has the advantage over you. Don't let him use it!"

Alfonse followed my advice and gave him a powerful kick to his knees. The force of which, actually toppled Líf over like a house of cards. I was legitimately impressed by the amount of sheer force that was applied to make him fall over like that. I felt a weird sense of pride from seeing Alfonse fight like this… it made me feel just for a moment… like I was contributing to the actual fight even if he did all of the work.

Alfonse hovered over Líf, pointing Folkvanger at his throat as if to emphasize Líf's defeat. Though it probably didn't matter as much since Líf was already dead anyway. Kinda hard to fear death when you are already dead and all, so such threats were empty at best.

"You are but a fool. You cannot deny Death. Like all mortals, you'll try to avoid it but your efforts will fail. You will never understand until your death." Líf spat.

Lif then disappeared into thin air as if he wasn't ever there to begin with. Al was clenching his fists and was nearly growling with anger. It startled me and even Sharena who had known him all of her life. I slowly approached him, reached out for his hand and grabbed it. I interlaced my fingers with his and held his hand with a firm grasp. Oh boy, I have really done it this time.

"K-kiran! Wh-what in the name of Askr's light are you doing?" He was surprised by my… direct approach.

"I just want to calm you down a little. He's gone now, but we'll get him next time. I can't have you lose your head to your own anger. You'll get yourself killed if you keep rushing in like that. I feared that you weren't going to make it without help." I said softly

"B-but… why are you holding my hand?" Alfonse blushed intensely.

"Because I want to. You are always protecting me and I can't help but feel like I should do more to support you. Your hands feel pretty nice and warm by the way." I grinned mischievously at him. I was enjoying his reaction way too much.

"T-this is a war zone Kiran! You are acting a bit strange…"

"I guess I am still a little scatterbrained from the side effects of whatever Hel did to me. I honestly don't know. Or maybe I just feel the need to be closer to you. Either way, we need to keep moving. Our next stop is just ahead." I let go of his hand.

"I… j-just warn me next time."

"Of course. I only meant to calm you down but if you really want me to do this again, just ask. I won't mind." I winked.

"Kiran and Alfonse sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-" Sharena teased us as if she were still a schoolgirl.

"Don't even dare finish that thought Sharena" Alfonse reprimanded his sister.

"Hey! I'm just saying what everyone here is thinking. It's not my fault you are both acting so lovey dovey!"

"Kiran was just concerned for me… i-it doesn't mean that we are…"

"Alfonse, just let her think whatever she wants. In the meantime, we'll continue forward towards Hel's castle."

"R-right. We need to focus on our goals first." Al agreed as we started walking again. Sharena pouted like a kid, disappointed by our dismissal of her claims.

Eventually, we arrived at a place that could only be described as… well honestly it would hard to describe. There was this heavy and ominous atmosphere that loomed over us. That is not to say that the rest of Helheim wasn't like this, but it was even more apparent. It smelled like… blood. Lots of it, in fact. I have grown accustomed to the smell of blood more than I would care to admit, but it comes with the territory of accompanying the Order onto the battlefield.

"Careful… this place" Anna looked at the area in disgust, pinching her nose to block the stench of rancid blood that just seemed to emanate from the place.

"There's blood crusted everywhere" said Al

"No kidding. I think I can see a few buckets of the stuff around here too. Ugh… I want to hurl." The sheer amount of blood and the smell… Oh dear God the smell.

"Is this an execution site? Or are people tortured here? I just can't fathom it"

"This… is where I lived." Eir said

"But how can that be so? Princess Eir, if you really are still alive then… this is horrendous! How did you…?" Mercedes was probably the most surprised out of everyone in the group.

"My duty was to die. I'm not like most mortals… when I was born, I held thousands upon thousands of lives within me. It was a gift given to me by the dragon of Life. At least, that is what Mother told me."

"Then… all of this blood… is yours?" Sharena asked

"Yes. Most mortals only have one life but I had countless lives stored within me. Even if I die, the next day… I will live again. My mother… she brought me here and she killed me." Eir said.

"But that's… awful! I cannot believe someone would do this to their own daughter! How could she?"

"Each time a mortal dies, my mother grows stronger. She killed me… day after day… over and over again. I was executed everyday by my mother until one day… she had exhausted all of my lives. This one is the only one I have left. Most mortals… they only feel the pain for a brief moment and that's it. They only get to experience it once. For them, it's quick and merciful. For me, however… everyday was like agony with no end in sight. Everyday I died. Everyday I would beg my for my mother to stop. Everyday I felt the pain of dying like it was brand new."

"Eir…" Alfonse was left nearly speechless.

"That dastard! I have no words…" Chrom had been quiet up until now but he could no longer keep to himself.

"Patience, Chrom. We will put an end to Hel somehow." I said.

"You'll have your work cut out for you then. All of my thousands upon thousands of deaths have become my mother's strength. This life is all that remains… to my mother I am worthless. It would be impossible for you to…"

"Even so, we have to try. We're already too far in Hel to go back now. We are in this together now. Of course, you could always go back to your mother and fight for her side if you wish. It would hurt to fight on opposite sides on the battlefield but… even if it does come to that, know that I wouldn't hold it personally against you. Until then, you are still my responsibility. Not only to protect my friends but to protect you as well. No mortal soul should ever have to endure the kind of suffering you did."

For a moment Eir fell silent… I then realized something very important. It was entirely possible that Eir had rarely been shown kindness in the thousands upon thousands of lives that she had lived. That her room in the Order was the first real home she had that was actually suitable for a living breathing person.

"I agree with Kiran. I now understand why you ran. What your mother did to you was unfathomable." Said Al.

"Yes… Yes I suppose you are right."

* * *

**A/N:**

**So Im uploading this alongside a chapter for my one shot series Mordern Shorts which is pretty cool I guess. Also my next few chapters might be shorter than what I have originally had in mind. Lately the chapters that I have already uploaded have been around the 4,000 word count mark before counting for author's notes. Right now however the chapters I havent uploaded are around the 1,000- 2,000 mark. I suppose it doesnt matter too much so long as the end product is to my liking but it bothers me because I like consistency in the lengths of my chapters. I wont force myself to hyper extend a chapter nnecessarily, however. I guess I havent got anything much else to say so I bid you farewell until next time. **


	14. Light of Hope

We had left Eir's "home" to continue carving our path to Hel's keep, where we had hoped we would find the secret to defeating her once and for all. We were met with fierce opposition from a group of shapeshifters calling themselves the Laguz. I felt like I had heard that term before, but I didn't know where. Chrom mentioned that he knew two people that were similar to the Laguz but they called themselves the Taguel. They were contracted by Hel to fight and kill us. Though it still baffles me as to why or how these contracts are being formed. Did they choose to fight on Her behalf or was it simple obligation that made them fight? I still suspected that Líf was the one handling and creating the contracts that bound the heroes to Hel's side.

Long have I contemplated what these 'contracts' even mean. What are these contracts if not forced conscription? Usually, the main way I had been able to forge these "contracts" and bind them to me was through summoning. While I normally offered to send the heroes back to their homes if they didn't want to fight in a war they technically had no stakes in, most of the time they stay. Perhaps it's an innate sense of trust that cements the contracts between me and those I have summoned. A few heroes have even mentioned hearing my voice somehow before they were summoned, imploring them to help me. Though I never said anything during my sessions, there were enough accounts of it happening that it was hard to ignore. Maybe they were hearing my heart's deepest wishes and desperate pleas, unbeknownst to me? I wasn't very sure, since Briedablik was almost semi sentient for an inanimate object. Lots of things still baffle me in regards to how it works.

After the end of the battle with the Laguz, one of the Laguz was impressed enough with my skills as a tactician that they immediately asked to form a contract with me. I was honestly flabbergasted. It was exceedingly rare for a hero to ask to join me after I had dissolved their previous contract. I shook hands with the Laguz named Ranulf and somehow I could feel the contract binding me to him and vice versa. So for as long as I live and for the entire duration of the contract, Ranulf will answer to me and if he ever dies, his soul and body will return back to me. It was then I realized that in doing so, I was denying Hel of Ranulf's soul completely. By doing so, I was denying her from obtaining more power. That is what angered Hel the most.

"So Ranulf, what made you decide to join us?" Sharena asked enthusiastically.

"Well I mentioned before that Kiran's knack for tactics really impressed me, but there is something else about her. Most Beorc tacticians prefer to stay off of the battlefield but Kiran seems to meet everything head on and doesn't think about upsetting those under her command. She reminds me of a Beorc friend of mine. I can smell him on her too. It's faint, but I knew that any friend of Ike's is someone I can trust."

"You're Ike's friend! That's so cool!" Sharena continued to pester Ranulf about his friendship with Ike and about Laguz stuff in general. Ranulf seemed to take it all in good stride anyway and did his best to sate her curiosity.

Alfonse on the other hand was frowning about something. I didn't know what for though. I went up to him asked him what was bothering him.

"I'm just… amazed at how he could smell Ike on you like that. I just don't know how to feel about that."

"I'm not sure what you mean by that. Is it that you feel bothered by Ranulf or is it Ike?"

"It's nothing, really. I just... look, can I ask you something?"

I raised an eyebrow at him "Um... sure, I guess. I'm always open to listening to you, so I am all ears"

He cleared his throat for a moment clearly nervous about what he was about to ask. "Kiran… what do you think about Ike?"

"I think that he's a steadfast friend and ally. He treats everyone with respect and his skills are invaluable to the Order. He's extremely reliable too."

"I see… is that all?"

"I'm not sure if I am following your train of thought correctly, Al. My relationship with Ike is mostly just business related. I mean we are friends and all, but we mostly just talk about training and missions that I'm sending him on. I don't think he has any interest in me beyond that. Actually, I don't think he is interested in women in general."

"Oh… I see." He sighed. It almost sounded like he was relieved.

"Is there something else that is bothering you? I want you to have a clear mind before our next battle. We can't afford to have distractions right now, unfortunately."

"Well… I've come to a realization about something lately but I don't know how to go about it. The timing is not the greatest either. I have a decision to make but… if I make it now, I might regret it. However, if I don't make it soon… well, I know I will regret not making it if I am killed"

"I am in a similar pickle honestly. I've decided to wait on it until after we beat Hel. I can't make your decisions for you though. It's up to you what you decide to do with this… revelation of yours. I'd ask what it is but… I have a feeling that you don't feel comfortable with telling me yet."

"It's sort of like that. I want to tell you but I'm afraid that you would think poorly of me."

"I don't think that's true. It would take a lot for me to think poorly of you. It would take you killing infants and kicking puppies for me to think poorly of you. Which I know you would never do anyway." I joked

"That's very reassuring to me. It puts me at ease knowing that you are supporting me no matter what. Minus the kicking puppies part. I'm certainly not heartless enough to kill an innocent infant either." He chuckled.

"That's good to know. Um… I know I said earlier that I was going to wait until after but I think we are both having the same problem. I don't think this is necessarily a good place to do it but if I'm correct, then it would be a load off of both of our minds."

"Ok… I'm listening"

"Oh God… this is not how I envisioned telling you… I'm super nervous and we might get attacked at any time. I-I'm just going to come out and say it. I… I am in love with you! T-there! I said it!"

"I can hardly believe it… all this time and I never noticed. You were right. We are having the same problem. I am in love with you too. It scares me but at the same time… I'm overjoyed!" Al was blushing and grinning from ear to ear.

"So… when is the wedding?" Sharena popped in

"Sharena! Please stop… it's embarrassing…" Al said.

"I'm just saying! It's about time you guys fessed up. Watching you two skirt around each other was killing me! It was like watching paint dry sometimes!"

"It's only been a minute since we've confessed, Sharena. It's a bit too early to be thinking about marriage. We are also in Hel… not exactly a good time to be getting married"

"Oh come on! This place is depressing and then you two go and finally get together… it makes me super happy. Please don't rain on my parade!" Sharena pouted.

"I agree. I could turn a huge profit margin if you guys get married! Plus the engagement photos… everyone in the kingdom would eat that up like it's breakfast!" Anna joined in on the conversation.

"Geez I am not even a few minutes into this and already the pressure of getting married is being pressed upon me! I knew that people were going to pester us into getting married eventually, but not like this!" I groaned.

"We'll have to discuss marriage eventually. I'm just as uncomfortable with being put on the spot about it as you are, but I will eventually have to choose someone to be my wife. H-honestly… I still don't feel ready to become King let alone get married and have kids. It's overwhelming… but you are always there to put me at ease one way or another. T-that is to say-" Al continued to nervously ramble until I interrupted him.

"Alright, I get it Al. You don't need to explain yourself any further. After the war, we will take things one step at a time. First thing's first, we have to stop Hel dead in her tracks. After that, the future will be ours to shape. Sound good?"

"Y-yeah. I like the sound of that very much. Thank you… K-Kiran"

Sharena snickered as she watched her own brother fumble his words. Anna kept listing the potential things she could do to profit off of my newfound romantic relationship. Meanwhile I was just looking away from everyone from embarrassment. Everything was just so awkward for both me and Al.

"Anytime, Al. We have a long road ahead of us and we all know this. Just… this makes me feel a little hopeful. Of course, we should tread with caution and try to not let it blind our judgements."

"You're right. I trust that both of our judgements are sound enough to carry us through to the end. I pray that the end that I speak of is the one where we live out our lives as peacefully as possible."

"I wish for the same things but… after the war is over I will be out of a job won't I? I just don't know what I would do once everything has settled. I'd still spend plenty of time in the castle but it's almost been three years… for most of that time, we've haven't had much in the way of peace since. I don't like fighting, but it's going to be hard to readjust to peace again. I used to believe that you were crazy for making me a tactician, but now it feels like it's the only thing that I'm remotely good at. The future is filled with unknowns, so I know I'll find something but it's both exciting and nerve wracking. It's also filled with potential danger." I rambled nervously.

"It's ok to be nervous, Kiran. You have everyone in the Order of Heroes to help you. I will also be there to help as you have always helped me."

"Well…my promise to see you become King and cheer you on is still ongoing, you know? I could totally become a priestess and officiate it myself." I joked

"Hehe… I am afraid that is not possible. It takes years to become a proper priestess of Askr. I'm not saying that you can't become one after the war, if that is what you desire. It just wouldn't happen in time." Al chuckled

"Ah man… what a buzz kill. My hopes and dreams are dashed!" I put my hand over my forehead and leaned back like I was in some sort of tragic play.

"Just like how your dream of marrying Sharena was dashed? And to think I wasn't your first choice"

"Whaaaatttt?" Sharena let out a gasp.

"It was a joke. He was referring to a dumb joke I made a few days ago." I explained.

"Since when did Alfonse have a sense of humor?"

"He's always had a sense of humor. He just doesn't show it often."

"Yeah right! I've known him my whole life and he has always been a serious person. Remember? Mr. Don't get too close to the heroes? Mr. I am so boring because I am an egghead that reads boring books?" Sharena raised an eyebrow at me

"Quite the contrary. I find reading the **_Treatise on Intercontinental Trade_** quite exhilarating." Al said as if it were the most exciting thing since sliced bread.

"You just proved my point. You're boring!"

"I disagree. Al isn't boring. I could watch you and Al argue with each other over silly things for hours and that can easily be my entertainment for the day. I wish I had a bag of popcorn to go with it honestly"

"Ugh… Im confused. I dont understand how you find Al to be interesting but I can't help but be happy for you. I've known for ages that you had a crush on my brother. I've seen you stare at him a bunch of times and you weren't very subtle in flirting with him either. It was painfully obvious actually. Al was the only one who didn't really figure it out. He's pretty dense"

"Well… He's attractive, smart, and kind. So of course I like him." I replied cheerfully.

"Y-you really think that I am…?" Alfonse asked me, unable to finish his sentence.

"Duh! Of course I find you attractive, you doofus!"

"O-oh… R-right…" Al then grew quiet.

"Uhhh… Zenith to Alfonse?" Sharena waved her hand in front of Al's face.

"Um… Kiran I think you broke him."

I reached for Al's hand and held onto it firmly. I could feel a small amount of warmth from his hand. I was sure that were it not for the thick protective gloves he was wearing, his hands would feel much warmer.

"K-kiran… My promise to you still stands. I'll protect you and… after the war is over… We'll open up the gate to your world! It's the only way I can repay you for everything you've already done for me, my family and our friends. You are always thinking about what's best for others and myself so… once this is all over I want to make you smile." He finally sputtered out.

"I'll hold you to it then. I still want to have tea in the garden with you, yeah know?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

**A/N:****So I guess this ends the "will they? wont they?" section of the relationship thing. I originally wasnt going to do the confession scene like this but two things became apparent. One, I was originally going to make this the chapter where Alfonse super flexes on Hel but then I noticed that in cannon, it takes them ten days to get to Hel's castle. Some of those days havent been accounted for yet so there's that. Two, my writing seemed to flow more towards them getting together this chapter. I think it's very much like Kiran to be like "btw I have a huge crush on you" and Al just trying to keep it together but in reality he's a nervous wreck.****Anyway I didnt want to drag out the whole thing out for too long, since I want to focus on the relationship dynamics after they become an item, so to speak. I just dont consider it the ultimate payoff like lots of romantic subplots do. The real pay off, is going to be watching grow together as a unit. Duo Hero King Alfonse anyone? XD**


	15. November Rain

Hiding in the shadows a lone figure stood watch over the ragtag group of _mortals_ as they made their way towards Hel. His eyes narrowed at the Summoner, trying to pick at her mind. Just what was that _woman_ planning? What was she thinking, taking the fight straight to Hel's keep?

Didn't she know that it would spell certain death for her and the entire group?

Whatever, that just meant that his job would be much easier to carry out. Prince Alfonse, while easily equal in strength and brains, wasn't a huge threat. The figure knew his every move and thought. No… the biggest threat was the Summoner. She was always a contradiction. Simultaneously the biggest threat and the weakest link. She could hardly punch her way through a wet paper bag in the state she is in now and yet… he knew what she was capable of. She wasn't a fighter but she was the brains and the glue of the entire operation and he knew it.

A mix of emotions swirled within him, like an oppressive raging storm on the open sea. She is not his Summoner, so it shouldn't matter to him if she lives or dies… right? All he has to do is kill her and everything will fall into place. His goal would be one step closer to being fully realised. So why does his cold heart still beat for her? Technically, he didn't actually have one now that he was dead, but he could still feel it's presence. Like a phantom pain one gets when they lose a limb.

He had a multitude of chances to kill the Summoner but each time, he hesitated. Each time he felt his chest tighten and his heart beating loudly despite the fact it was no longer inside of him. He cursed himself and the offending organ that was keeping him from carrying out the deed. He cursed it for daring to still love her and Sharena.

Líf knew that the Kiran and Sharena he knew were long gone. He knew the ones that he was spying upon needed to die to take their place. Hel said that… it didn't matter what Hel said. He forged the contract with her out of pure desperation and madness. An eye for an eye, a soul for a soul. That was the deal. He needed to bide his time for now. If he could kill them in one fell swoop, he would feel less pain.

It's been three days since Alfonse and Kiran professed their love for each other and it still makes him feel angry and disgusted. They were parading it around Helheim like it was a goddamned damn walk in the park. The Summoner belonged to him and him alone! How dare the upstart prince take her away from him? Líf then laughed at himself mirthlessly. Why bother wasting his thoughts on a girl that only looked like his Summoner? Being jealous of the whelp of a prince did nothing for his goal.

He watched as Sharena pestered the new couple with questions about ooey gooey mushy lovey dovey crap. Perhaps now would be a good time to sneak away into the outside world and gather some daisies and white lilies to place at the graves of the people he had cared the most for. He had plenty of time to think things through and gathering flowers for them was the only thing keeping him from completely losing his mind. He was dead after all, so he needn't concern himself with time constraints too much.

"You're the smartest fool I've ever known, my dear friend. They don't belong to you. Especially the Summoner" Thrasir said as she walked in on him spying on the Order.

"Took you long enough. I'm going to take my leave soon. I need you to watch their movements while I'm gone"

"You can't keep running from them forever. Kiran must die along with everyone else. No exceptions. Their world must die before ours can be revived. We are all that's left of it."

"I know. I know it painfully well. I care not if my body still remains when I crush them, I will not stop. For years, we've planned our assault and so far it's going as planned but with... an interesting new development." Lif then pointed at Alfonse and Kiran happily acting like a lovey dovey couple.

"I see… this could be useful to us later. Perhaps we could separate her from the group and force them to come to us. Knowing what we already know about the prince, he would surely blindly charge in to her rescue."

"You are correct. Kiran is a bit unpredictable so if we go through with it, we will need to err on the side of caution. I can predict how she would react to certain things but I cannot claim to know everything she is planning. She is not a physical threat to anyone right now, but she is a slippery customer."

"You know the Summoner well enough. If you believe that is the case, then I will keep that in mind. Your words are the only things that mean anything to me anymore"

"It's odd but… I feel the same way. Your companionship is comforting to me in a small way. We used to be enemies but now it seems like that was ages ago. Like a scattered dream that's like a far off memory"

"The Summoner. The last thing you just said... She has said something like that before, hasn't she? I don't envy the pain that her memory inflicts on you. There is one thing I do envy, though. I never knew what love feels like. I don't know what it is like… I had my brother but it's not the same kind of love. I suppose it matters not now. What does matter, is that somehow I feel less lonely when I am with you in this godforsaken place. You make things feel bearable and you've given me hope even if only a small slither of it."

"We must balance the cohort of the dead. Only then, will Hel restore our homes. I believe it to be true. I'll start by crushing the girl who wears her face and then everyone else will fall to my blade. I bid you farewell, my friend" Líf then opened a gate to another world. If one looked through the gate, you would see a field of daisies dancing along with the soft breeze. As Líf walked through, Thrasir closed it with relative ease and continued Líf's work from where he had left off.

* * *

**A/N: So I got a seasonal job and... well you can probably guess what that means. At any rate I have a back log of a few chapters that I've written ahead of time but the one I am currently writing is coming along at a snail's pace.**

**For this chapter I just wanted to write Líf just sort of scouting the Order out and watching them go about their journey.** **Press 'f' to pay respects. The irony of Líf being jealous of his younger self is very real and I want to expand upon Líf's character and explore his friendship with Thrasir even more in the future. Either that or I could write about Líf playing giant Jenga with Thrasir and Kiran in _The Modern Shorts. _For some reason, I find the idea of Edgy Alfonse playing a mundane game like Jenga and have him just be a really poor loser weirdly appealing to me. It would even be funnier if you add in post timeskip Dmitri into the mix.**

**"Build every last one of them!"** **He'd say after carefully taking out a jenga block and placing it ontop of the block tower **

**Ok I will stop rambling for now I guess. **


	16. Dear Diary

_June 30th, Year 1519_

_Dear Diary,_

_As per usual, Im writing to provide a personal account on my journey through Helheim. Technically speaking, it's called Hel, but in order to differentiate between its ruler who is the namesake of the place and the actual realm of the dead, I call it Helheim after the Norse underworld. Plus I feel kinda dirty for saying that I'm in Hel. I could be saying that I am inside Hel, the place but someone with a much more unsavory line of thought could misinterpret that as me saying that I'm inside Hel, the death goddess. Barf. No thanks. I wouldn't touch her or look at her if I had things my way._

_I probably shouldn't be writing about how potential double entendres influenced me to slightly change the name of Hel to Helheim. While this is my own personal journal and I should feel free to write whatever I flippen want to, I also realize that this could be potentially used as a historical document of some sort long after I am gone. If I were not so inclined to believe that people would eventually read this, my language would be much more foul among other things. I may be Prince Alfonse's tactician now, but before my arrival in Askr, I was much more… liberal with my word choices. I only chose to cut back on it because I am still expected to maintain a certain level of professionalism with the royal family. I may be in a romantic relationship with Al, but considering that it has only been a few days since we started dating or… I guess the fancy noblemen would call it a courtship, but "courtship" is loaded term I feel. Like… you are expected get engaged and then married at the end. It just feels so… foreign to me. To be fair, I am a foreigner in Askr, so there still customs in Askr that I'm not familiar with._

_I suppose I should get into the actual meat of the current situation in Hel. It's been a few days since our last proper encounter with either of Hel's generals. There is still something that bothers me about Líf, but I can't say for sure what it is. Líf looks too similar to Al. Even if they are related, Al should be too far down Líf's genetic line to look that much alike. I'm not a geneticist, but the similarities between the two shouldn't be that strong. I doubt that Askr's influence on Líf's family line would make his phenotype that strong unless there was some weird Royal incest shenanigans in the family line. Royal families in my world tended to marry between other royal bloodlines until every royal was related to each other in some form. Look no further than the Ptolemies and the Hapsburgs. So much incest was involved in those families, that the actuall strength of the bloodlines were made worse. Genetic disease ran rampant in those families. Heck hemophilia was a genetic disease carried by the British Queen Victoria and through her, it was passed down through her family until it indirectly caused the fall of the Russian Empire._

_Shoot I keep getting sidetracked. I doubt any future Askran historians would understand anything about what I just wrote. I just dropped an extremely abridged version my world's history. Anyway, it still bothers me that the family resemblance to Alfonse appears to be as strong as it does. His looks, his mannerisms… Líf is like an edgier version of Al. He is much more angrier than Al typically is. I feel like… if Líf wasn't trying to kill me, then perhaps I could just… I don't know but I can feel his sorrow and anger radiating off him sometimes. Perhaps I am just imagining things, but I just cannot shake the feeling that we have known each other for a long time.__I suppose there is no use dwelling on it now. Hel's castle is still a few days away. I hate this place and summoning still hurts me like crazy. I loathe Hel for doing this to me and once we find a way to thwart her, I will do it with great satisfaction._

_August 03, Year 1519_

_Dear Diary,_

_There isn't much to report but by Askr or whatever deity is out there watching over us, I think I might actually be melting. Today, Al said that I was cute and that I had pretty eyes. We were eating the rations that we had packed beforehand. I've never really liked military rations because they always taste bland and gross. Anyway, before I knew it, Al was sitting next to me really close to just staring at me. I thought it was unusual for him but perhaps he was feeling particularly… clingy? I'm not sure if that's the right word for it but now that we are much closer to Hel's keep, he's been more worried about me than usual. I asked him about what was bothering him and he just pulled my hood down, and wiped the corner of my mouth with his handkerchief. Apparently, I had some crumbs on my mouth._

_I was a bit confused because I thought he was upset about something but he was just concerned about the mess on my face. After that he just blurted out that I have gorgeous blue eyes. I asked him to repeat himself again because for a moment I couldn't believe what I heard. He then told me again that he thought my eyes were beautiful and that he thought my smile was cute. I feel like I must be dreaming… I am lucky to have found a person like him.__Admittedly I did enjoy watching him blush the second time around. He's just so cute, smart, and kind. Askr knows that I've been writing cheesy stuff about him in my previous entries… and some um… other things that are best kept in here. I swear if he found this, sent this to be unhexed by one of the dark mages and read it, I would probably die of embarrassment. There are other things that I prefer him not to see but those are more grim in nature.__I will still have to tell him about what happened that day. I know King Gustav told me to take that secret to my grave if I must but I won't. I'll tell him one day. He has a right to know about what really happened to King Gustav. I just hope he won't decide to hate me for my part in his father's death._

_August 04, Year 1519_

_Dear Diary,_

_I finally got a chance to get some quiet time from Sharena pestering me to kiss her brother. She's been doing it for a few days and each time I have to remind her that I'm trying to focus on the march that's still ahead of us. She called me a fun ruiner. Like… we are in Helheim! Filled with dead people who want us to join their ranks. I can't afford to play around! My promise to His Highness cannot be fulfilled if I am making out with Al all the time. I don't want to lose them. I love Al and Sharena has become like a sister to me… I don't think I could handle losing either of them.__I feel emotionally exhausted and physically drained. How much longer can I keep running on empty like this? I can't just take a break either, because I have to ensure that our little ragtag group of heroes stays relatively safe. One wrong move and it could be over for all of us. I do wish I could have a hug from Al… it would help if only just a little. What would be extremely helpful is a nice long nap. Helheim makes it difficult for me to sleep though… it is just so unnerving! I don't think anyone is getting enough proper sleep, honestly._

_Ranulf and Chrom have been extra generous in taking shifts for us when it's time to sleep. I just hope it doesn't negatively affect their fighting abilities too much. I do worry about-_

* * *

"Kiran, I'm a bit worried for your health. You haven't slept in days. Please… say something!"

I looked up from writing in my diary to find Alfonse looking just as exhausted as I was. I could practically feel the eyebags under my eyes forming another set of eye bags.

"I know, Al. I'm trying to fall asleep but I keep getting nightmares when I do manage to get some sleep…" I yawned voraciously.

"Kiran… We need all of our…" he yawned mid sentence before continuing "strength. You can't go on like this."

"I know, sweetie but… I have a hard time staying asleep." I say in delirium not fully processing the things I was saying.

"Kiran… is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?"

"Could you give me a hug? Pretty please Alfy?"

Al looked at me with a mixture of concern and embarrassment. I guess I might've been a bit too heavy on the pet names for him. He didn't complain about it, however. "...Of course, Kiran."

He then pulled me in closer to him for a warm and comforting hug. As per usual, I found listening to his steady heartbeat while embracing him oddly soothing. It was a reminder of why I must continue on marching onto death's door in the most literal sense. Honestly if Hel had a doorbell on her door, I would totally play ding dong ditch the door on her as a last "fuck you" to her before shuffling off my mortal coil. At least if she kills me, I will have died somewhat on my own terms. Of course, I don't plan on dying but I will need to make contingency plans for if I die during the war. Perhaps I could write my last will and testament along with it and bequeath my diary to Al for safekeeping along with instructions for him to go to Tharja to remove the hex that I had her place on it. It technically wouldn't be official unless I had a witness sign… but does it even work like that in Askr? I sighed heavily.

"Is there something wrong, Kiran?"

"Just… thinking of contingency plans for what should be done should I be… well you know. I don't want to think about it but there needs to be plans for what should happen following my death. I-I..."

"Stop. Don't even speak of it. I cannot entertain that even for a minute. I won't let you"

"Just listen to me… you know that book I was writing earlier? If I die before the war ends… I want you to take it to Tharja and remove the hex on it. While I dont like the idea of you reading through all the embarrassing things I wrote in it… there is something important in there that I wrote in it. You of all people deserve to know the truth. His Highness may have wanted me to keep it a secret from you to protect you, but I think it's unfair to you and Sharena to be left in the dark. It is… the one thing… I regret most…"

"Shhhhhhh… say no more. I won't let you die. You can tell me when the war is over." He then absentmindedly undid my hair tie and gently ran his fingers through my hair. It felt pleasant to me. I could feel my drowsiness come at me with full force.

"Alfonse… would you sleep next to me? You're so… warm..." I said while nodding off.

Alfonse chuckled. It apparently made him happy to help me fall asleep. He has told me before that he had woken up to me talking in my sleep a few times during the campaign. It is embarrassing to say the least.

"Of course, Kiran. I would love to, if it helps you sleep peacefully"

"Thanks…" and with that, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Líf pulled out an old and worn out leather bound journal and carefully read its contents for what seemed like the millionth time. He knew it's contents well, as it was a source of comfort to him in a place that was literally driving him mad in every sense of the word. It's owner was long dead but with every entry of the diary, it was clear that the owner lived a full and happy life despite the situations they had often found themselves in. Had he not failed then perhaps the owner would still be alive and smiling. Perhaps they would scold him for digging into their personal journal. Líf would never know for sure though.

He wondered if perhaps they were deemed worthy of entry to Valhalla. He knew why he was in Hel but the fact that he didn't seem to be able to find them among the army of the dead made him hopeful that they were being cared for by the All Father. The person did not deserve to die and they do not deserve to be in Hel.

He opened it to an entry about a ball that they had attended. It was the first formal ball they went to, actually. It spoke of the Heroes they've interacted with, how they stepped on their dance partner's feet so many times that he had to be seen by a healer afterwards, how they might have had "accidentally" spiked the punch and watched as people got extremely drunk. The owner was quite the prankster at times. They mentioned a few more things involving the diary's owner dragging her dance partner to the infirmary while they were still drunk, afterwards they retired to their room together… sharing drunken kisses with each other among other things. It didn't go into full detail of what they did, but he knew what they were implying.

It brought back so many happy memories of him and his Summoner. He would do everything he could to get her back. Líf knew that she would never look at him if she knew what he had done to revive her. Sharena he could live with her disgust towards him, but Kiran… He knew that she would be absolutely livid. It hurt… knowing that Kiran would push him away once his goal was achieved.

It was maddening to know that his only source of comfort also served as a reminder of his own failures. Not only did he fail his kingdom, he failed his sister and his fiancee. He didn't deserve any happiness. That is why he was sent to Hel. It was his punishment for his shortcomings, doomed to wallow in self pity and hatred and then driven to madness. He should've known that stabbing the Heart would be the demise of his entire kingdom, the one he swore to protect. He should've stopped her from stabbing the Heart. Perhaps then her soul wouldn't have been lost to him.

"You really need to stop reading her diary, Líf. We can no longer dwell on what could've been. It's… all gone now." Thrasir said as she approached him.

"It's the only thing that I have besides Briedablik that I can remember her by. We lost everything that day, Thrasir. This is all have left of the woman I fell in love with. You and I are two sides of the same coin and for that I am thankful. It's just… when I lost her and my sister, it was as if I had lost half of myself. I'm sure you feel similarly about your brother"

"I… I don't know if I feel that way exactly but… my brother was all I had. What I do know for certain, is that the voice in my head got much louder after he died. It gnaws at me and it tells me to kill… I don't dislike killing, but sometimes I wish it would shut up and leave me alone. When we joined Hel's army… when I started following you… the voice that tells me to kill got quieter. I have a means to direct it somewhere useful when I am with you. We share a goal and that is to bring back our lost loved ones."

"I see… I suppose I don't need to keep looking at it much longer. I have all of it memorized right here" Líf then pointed to his head.

"We must take our leave soon. They are approaching Her."

"Very well then. Shall we watch the battle unfold from the sidelines then?"

"I would prefer killing them myself but I suppose there's no harm in watching from afar. If this Kiran is anything like our Kiran, she would somehow survive anyway. It just means I'll have to kill her later instead of right now"

"No. I will be the one to kill her. I have to."

* * *

**A/N:****There isnt a whole lot for me to say about this one. Mainly, I just wanted to try something a little different for this chapter and this more an intermediary between the previous chapter and the next one coming up. There is a ten day period of wandering through Helheim that Anna mentions in the game and I figured that this would help bridge the time gap a little.**

**I suppose I should go into a little more detail about what is going to happen to this fic going forward assuming that my new job will keep me after the holiday season. Dont worry, it's nothing too serious. I just dont have as much time as I used to and so the chapters for this fic will take longer to write because of that. I am really hoping that my employers do decide to make me a permanent employee though.**

**Also... I dont know what to make of Book 4 just yet. I just find it a bit strange that we went from fighting a death goddess to fighting the Winx club. I think I may wait on writing stuff for book 4 to focus on the actual "Modern" part of the Modern Hero. Also I like the idea of Kiran screeching at Thórr for sending 10 million soldiers her way. I would imagine that after the book 3 arc is all wrapped up that Kiran wouldn't take too kindly having another deity interfere with her life. **

**Edit: I hate how the doc system fucks the formatting of my chapters rip**


	17. Sheer Heart Attack

"Alright everyone, this meeting is now in session. Anna, the floor is yours to start with."

Anna nodded "It has been ten days since we've journeyed our way through Hel. So far, we've avoided major conflicts and kept the enemy off our trail."

"Indeed. Finally, we are closing in on Hel's keep" Alfonse nodded.

"On this very edge of the darkness... that is where my mother resides." Eir then froze herself in place.

"Princess Eir, is there something amiss?" I asked

"Yes. You must be careful Kiran… Death is already here. My mother is coming."

"Well… shit. Meeting adjourned everyone! Get your weapons ready and await my orders!" I shouted.

Hel appeared only barely in time for us to get our weapons and battle formations ready. She in all of her purple glowing deathliness looked at most of us with extreme disinterest and boredom. It was clear that she had every reason to see us mortals as nothing but mere flies to swat with her scythe. However, she looked upon Alfonse and me with great disdain.

"Hmph…"

"So you have finally decided to show yourself" Al said while tightly gripping onto the grip of his sword.

Hel didn't even bother to answer him.

"If we defeat you here in the realm of the dead, will you die? Or is there more to the puzzle? That is what we will find soon enough!" He pointed Folkvanger at her.

"I'll be right behind you, Prince Alfonse. Our bonds shall prove to her what we are made of!" I cried out as part of our battle cry.

Commander Anna then shouted out orders to the rest of our group. Everyone scrambled into position. My main focus was on Alfonse. I was worried that he would try and do something rash because of me. I was worried that now that we are "together" together, he would lose sight of our goal. I loved him and I loved that he was always willing to go out of his way to protect me. However, I feared that he would take it to the extreme and get himself killed. Even though he loved me back, I was not worth the life of a crown prince. I was just a pathetic girl that just happened to be summoned here. No amount of my abilities could possibly solve the political turmoil that would follow his death. In the grand scheme of things, I was just a few notches away from being disposable. No… I can't afford to think like that.

I took a deep breath. I was honestly scared shitless but I needed to focus on giving Alfonse my full support. That meant I needed to ignore the inner voice telling me that I was a shitty tactician and a horrible person. A murderer. It was do or die in the most literal way possible so I told myself that I need to keep myself together until the end of the battle.

I surveyed the battlefield. There were only a few troops that we needed to worry about. That spoke volumes about Hel. It meant that she was extremely confident in her ability to take us all down. She could probably take us down with very little effort. Or at least, that is what my tactician's eye seemed to be telling me. When we first met, one of the things that made Alfonse trust in my ability as a tactician even though I literally had no practical experience was that I was somehow able to gauge a Hero's strengths and weaknesses from just a glance. I think it might be another side effect of my weapon's power, but I guess I can't look a gift horse in the mouth right now.

Anyway, I could tell from a glance that we were ill equipped to fight her at our current strength. However, a tactical retreat was unlikely to do us any good, which meant that we are being forced to fight her if we wanted to even survive this encounter. I quickly ran multiple scenarios through my head as I gave Alfonse my orders. I then surmised that we only needed to get her to retreat. The next thing I had to figure out was how to get her to do that. Brute force will only get us so far. We could easily rip through her forces, but Hel herself is a giant unavoidable obstacle.

My hand subconsciously grabbed Breidablik's grip. Something about it felt right. Like… I was scratching an itch that had been bothering me for a whole day after being unable to scratch it for so long. Perhaps… I could use Breidablik to get her to back off? She hates me for even using it anyway so why not use it to my advantage?

I took Breidablik out and pointed it at her. It had become like second nature to me, though part of that was due to my father's teachings. There would be times where he would stay home for awhile before going back to the battlefield and he would teach me how to use a handgun properly. There are times where I wished I had my gun with me, if only if so I could defend myself more properly. This was one of them.

"Kiran what are you doing? You will get hurt if you summon now!"

"I'm not sure what I am doing! I just have a gut feeling about this."

"Just stay behind me! Hel is making her move"

"Ok I trust you. I just need to figure something out!"

"Whatever it is, do it quickly!"

Every fiber of my being wanted to open fire upon Hel. I couldn't shoot more orbs in the middle of battle since the pain of the backlash would be too great, but in the end I ended up pulling the trigger before I had the chance to think it through. Nothing happened at first… my instincts went into overdrive as I immediately pointed Briedablik in a different direction away from all of the combatants involved. It was one thing that my father drilled into me… a misfire is dangerous with a real gun but I had no idea what a misfire would entail when it came to Breidablik.

In a flash, a huge ass beam of light fired out of Breidablik, sending me flying backwards from the recoil. I fell flat on my ass further adding to the pain I was already receiving from the magical exhaustion. I think I got actual skid marks on my ass cheeks from this, dragons damn it.

"This is not a development that I have expected to see so soon… I think I will watch you suffer from afar, Summoner" Hel said before warping herself away.

"What did you do Kiran? What in the name of Askr just happened?" Al asked me in bewilderment as the reinforcements dropped in.

"Frick, I don't know! I thought you would know about it since you know more about the legends than I do. All I know is that after I had pulled the trigger, it misfired. In my world, when a gun fails to fire, it puts everyone at risk. As a safety precaution, I fired it away from everyone because I didn't know what would happen when Breidablik fails to summon a hero. It's never done this before!" I said in a panic.

"Whatever it was, it scared her off. I want you to call for Mercedes to get yourself healed, I'll take care of the rest of the stragglers."

"But… I don't need a healer. I need to make sure that you-"

"Kiran! You need a healer. Don't argue with me on this! I won't die here, I promise"

"It is reckless of you to make promises like that!"

Alfonse then shoved his blade through another undead soldier. "Just like it's reckless of someone who is mostly unarmed to neglect her health and safety. Go now! I'll be fine on my own"

"Fine! Just know that if you do anything stupid, you will suffer my wrath… or something like that!"

Alfonse chuckled at my frankly horrible attempts to threaten him. "I wouldn't dream of it, Kiran."

I nodded and ran as best as I could towards Mercedes who was healing Anna about forty yards away. Eir flew over to me and offered to let me fly with her and I agreed. I thanked her profusely, the magical exhaustion slowly addling my thought processes. Eir looked at me with increasing alarm, urging Lyfja to fly even faster. It wasn't too long before we reached our destination.

"By the goddess, Kiran you look paler than a ghost! Here let me help you!" Mercedes said.

"I certainly feel like a ghost right now. I feel like I've gotten the world's worst migraine and a punch to the gut simultaneously." I said while I felt my pain slowly melt away after Mercedes used her staff on me.

I "You really need to be more careful, Kiran. That curse you have is really taking a toll on you. I know that we can't take it easy right now, but you really need to limit your summoning to emergencies only."

"Of course… it's just that something was telling me to pull the trigger. It was just so… easy. It took me back to when my dad would take me to the shooting range. The only way I could describe it is… instinct?"

"Could it be that weapon you're using? You have said that it has 'talked' to you before right?"

"Yes… I think you might be right. I just hope that listening to it will not get me into trouble in the future."

"Kiran! Hate to interrupt your conversation, but we need one of your plans!" Anna said after appearing out of seemingly nowhere. Noatún was very useful for getting Anna around, but it still would've made me jump if she warped right behind me. At least it was just Anna and not Coldsteel the Hedgeheg. I am sure I would have actually died of a brain aneurysm instantaneously if that actually happened.

"Alright. Anna can I get you and Eir to support Al? He's by himself right now and that's… not that good. I will go over to support Sharena, Ranulf and Chrom."

"Good idea. I think you should take Mercedes with you. They are very worn down and could use some healing to tide them over" Anna then warped her way over to where Alfonse was and Eir followed suit. That left me alone with just Mercedes. While Mercedes was armed with a staff, it wouldn't be extremely effective. With the proper setup I could make her become a legitimate threat, but for now we were only armed with a gravity staff.

"We should regroup quickly, Mercedes. We don't want to get into the crossfires without weapons and backup."

Mercedes nodded in agreement. We ran as quickly as we could, given that I was still recovering from the misfire. We barely managed to get to the in time for Ranulf to approach us, battered and bruised from the long fight. Poor Mercedes had her work cut out for her. She quickly went to work on healing his wounds while I made my way towards Sharena.

"Hey Sharena! I want to support you! Think you need a bit of my tactics?"

"Of course! I'm always happy when you are around. I'm just surprised that you actually left my brother's side at all." Sharena winked as she shoved Fensalir through the abdomen of yet another soldier of Hel.

It was almost as if we were just hanging out with each other and not fighting Hel and her gang of dead bois. Sharena always had a way of making light of things even if everything else appeared to be bleak. It was a quality that boosted everyone's morale, including my own. It can be jarring to see a normally upbeat Sharena skewering enemies like a shish kabob. I knew that Sharena was more than capable in a fight, since I've seen her fight in countless battles but it just seemed odd somehow when paired with her cheerful personality.

"Long story short, I shot a big friggin beam of light out of Breidablik and Al sent me away to get healed up. I figured that you might want me to swing on by and help out so I came here."

"Oh... ok now it makes sense! Alfonse is such a worrywart. I would've been worried too but Al can been bit overzealous at times. He goes out of his way to protect you every time you step onto the battlefield. Did you know that whenever a Hero offered to protect you in his place, he would turn them down immediately? He has been doing that since the kidnapping!" Sharena grinned.

"T-that's not important right now! Sh-Sharena I need you to focus on the task at hand! We are nearly finished!" I sputtered out.

I felt embarrassed that Sharena would even bring this up in the middle of a battle, but I must admit that I sort of liked the idea that Alfonse had been doing that for me a lot longer than I had originally thought. It made me feel a little warm on the inside. Only God knows what I would do to keep him safe… the extent that I have already gone to make sure that he continues to draw breath. It scares me. I had killed King Gustav by proxy… All for Alfonse. I could always say that I did it for the Order and the wellbeing of the Kingdom but I had made it clear to His Highness on several occasions that my loyalties were with Alfonse and Sharena and The Order of Heroes. For me to claim the opposite of that would be a bold faced lie on my part.

How am I supposed to explain to the both of them about my decision to help Gustav end his own life in exchange for his son's? I mean of course I had tried finding other ways but in the end… it wasn't enough. I wasn't enough. I was fooling myself if I told myself otherwise. I'm just some girl that was summoned by a dusty old relic to fight in a war that I technically had no business being in. I was just so… tired.

When the battle ended, Sharena pulled me into a hug. She really is more observant than I gave her credit for. "Something is bothering you Kiran. You can tell me anything... you know that right?"

"I… I am just so tired, Sharena. I'm just barely holding myself together and the only reason I am fighting in this godforsaken place is because I'm hopelessly in love with your brother and losing him… I just don't know what I would do. I've already done so much to keep both of you safe as I can. I fear that one day when you find out the actual extent of that… you wouldn't like me anymore. I wouldn't like me either."

"You need to stop talking about yourself like that. If anything, I should be thanking you for everything you've done for us starting with the fact that you got my brother to look at something that's not a dusty old book. Honestly, I was beginning to worry about him. Girls have approached him before and he never even realized they were flirting with him! I thought he was going to become king and then wither and die away without a wife! You know where that leaves me? That would make me next in line. Bleck! I hate politics and all that junk. You were and still are the best thing that has happened to the Order just for that alone."

"Sharena... let's go find Al. We need to regroup with him soon."

Sharena laughed "You two really are joined at the hip…. You've only been with me for a good half hour and you are already itching to get your mitts on him."

"That's not what I was trying to do, Sharena!" I pouted

"I'm just teasing, Kiran! It's my way of trying to cheer you up!"

"Hey Sharena…"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for sticking with me these past two years. It means a lot to me."

"It's no big deal! Whatever you did that's got you all up in a tizzy, just know that I will always be cheering you on. I know Father could be a real sourpuss at times so if it's something to do with him, dont worry about it."

"H-how did you know that-?"

"That Father is part of the reason you have been harder on yourself? Easy. Remember back when we fought him earlier? He mentioned a few things that seemed kinda bizarre. Something about a promise? I'm sure that whatever he asked you to do was difficult for the both of you."

"He sure had a funny way of showing it to me when I was working for him, then. He played me like a fiddle the whole way through all while making impossible demands of me. Well, at least they shouldn't have been possible. If there was another way to keep him alive and save Alfonse… then I would've done it. At any rate, he found out about my feelings towards Al pretty quickly and used it against me the day before he died. The only reason I agreed to do it in the end, was because it was the only way I could save Al"

"...Kiran. Are you saying that… Father forced you to help him…?" Sharena's eyes widened.

"'Force' is not quite the right word, but I will neither confirm nor deny what you are asking me. I wasn't supposed to tell you or your brother about any of it, but it's unfair to you to keep it under wraps like that."

"And it was unfair of him to use your feelings for Alfonse to get you to do something like that. It was not your fault. I just… I know why he did it, but he went too far. If you ever need help talking to Alfonse about it, I will one hundred percent back you up."

"I really don't deserve it but… thank you… for everything."

"It's not a problem! With everything that you have done, and with everything you are doing, it's the very least that I can do for you. Besides, if all goes well, we'll be sisters soon and sisters support each other!"

"Well… if you are so adamant on me marrying your brother, then I suppose I will think about considering it more seriously. I just don't like rushing into big decisions like that so soon."

The sound of footsteps cut our conversation short. I directed my attention to where the sounds were coming from and it was Al. He had a few cuts and bruises, but he appeared to be fine otherwise.

"Kiran! Thank the dragon of Askr... you're ok!" Alfonse ran over to me

"Yes I am perfectly fine now, thanks to Mercedes, Eir and especially Sherena. By the way, I hope you didn't go too overboard. Did Eir get to you on time?"

"Yes. Your foresight got me out of a real bind. You really do think of everything. However… Hel has eluded us again. We need to come up with a plan to intercept her again."

"That won't be necessary."

Everyone looked on in horror when they realised that Hel joined in on our little conversation. Her voice was enough to send shivers down my spine. Only God knew how much I feared and despised this woman. The only silver lining to be had in this situation was that we didn't have to chase her across Helheim. I reveled in the thought of finding her weakness and killing her. The thought of revenge nearly consumed me. I was going to make her feel every bit of the trauma and suffering that I have endured throughout this whole war.

She then began to cast her curse on Alfonse again. Alfonse's face contorted in pain in ways that I had previously thought was impossible. No…! If she completes her curse then there would be no way to save him this time!

"Aghh!" Al winced.

"A curse in the name of Hel, ruler of the dead." Hel said stoically

"So this… this is it…" he gasped

"Your father traded his life to extend yours. What idiocy."

Idiocy? That bitch! It's like she is trying to torture me even further. How dare she mock Gustav's sacrifice! If Gustav was an idiot like Hel claimed him to be then it would also make me an idiot. I balled up my fists and clenched my teeth in anger.

"It changes nothing, princeling. You will die yet."

"I suppose it must be as you say, Hel. Come on, then! Curse me" Alfonse taunted.

"Prince Alfonse! I beg you to consider what you are saying" I cried out

"I have, Summoner. I have already made my decision." Alfonse smirked at both Hel and I

"After nine days, as your father did, you too will die. Why do you smile, boy? Has fear driven you into madness?"

"Don't you understand Hel? You ought to know… it is your curse, after all. After nine days, I will certainly perish, but if the curse truly lasts nine days… that it is a period of time in which you cannot kill me." Alfonse smiled as if he knew he had won this exchange.

Hel looked at him with great displeasure … in fact I think she even scowled at him. If I wasn't pissed at both Hel and Al… then perhaps this would've made me feel weirdly turned on. Mostly because in the back of my mind the idea of Al putting a literal death god in her place makes me feel... almost weirdly possessive over him. I didn't know how to feel about that honestly.

Al then continued his little mini speech "I have already infiltrated your realm. I will learn how to defeat you. That knowledge lurks here, somewhere… and I won't need to seek you out once I find it. In nine days, you will appear before me once more. So lay your curse on me, ruler of the dead. I will gladly accept it, because it will mean your death in nine days time."

Seriously, I'm genuinely cheesed off at Al. He's playing way too fast and loose with his own life. The life I've sacrificed so much to protect. When this is over I'm going to plant my palm into his face at speeds, the likes of which, will have never been before seen by mortal eyes. I don't care if that makes me a hypocrite, I will make my message clear. He's getting way too cocky for his own good.

"What insolence! Do you not fear me? Do you not fear my curse? Do you not fear death? Very well then. I will rectify that. I withhold my curse. That will be too easy for you. Instead, I will carve the terror of death into your very bones. Then, and only then, will I reap your soul. I will start with the Summoner and then your sister… I will make you suffer." Hel then disappeared with the blink of an eye.

"Oh… she's gone now."

"Good. Because I will make sure you will suffer before Hel even lays a finger on you!" I said angrily.

"Huh? Kiran?"

"You heard me! You think you can play fast and loose with your life like that and then you think you can get away with it?" I then planted my fist right on the side of his face.

"By the divine dragons! Was that really necessary? Ow!"

"Kiran! You are supposed to slap him not punch him!" Sharena said while snickering at the sight of her own brother being sucker punched.

"Sharena! Don't encourage her!" Alfonse said grouchily while rubbing his cheek.

"Nope. Not listening. I agree with Kiran on this one"

"Sorry… I should've held back a bit there. Just… what were you thinking, doing that?" I asked while trying to hide my embarrassment. I could feel myself blushing.

"You would've done the same Kiran. I asked myself what you would do in my situation and it worked. I've seen how you've tricked people before, you know."

"God damnit Al, doing stupid and crazy stunts to win fights is my job! Just because I do it, doesn't mean you should copy me. That's downright insane!"

Al laughed "Perhaps you are right. By the way, you have a solid right hook. It's actually kind of impressive. Has anyone told you this before?"

"Er… um… they might've… a long time ago" I said while not looking straight at him. I would occasionally sneak a glance or two at him and I felt ashamed that I let my feelings get the better of me.

Mercedes and the rest of the Heroes just stood there, watching in disbelief of our entire exchange… all except for Chrom. He merely just put his hand on his shoulder, giving him a pitying look that said "I feel your pain." Afterwards, Mercedes jumped in and used her staff to heal his newly formed bruise. Ranulf just continued to watch in amusement.

"So um.. don't do it again ok? I love you and I won't stand aside if you risk yourself like that again." I said while hugging him

"I can't promise that if you are in danger, but I will keep that arm of yours in mind."

"I will admit that you did do a good job… with getting Hel to revoke the curse, I mean. If I wasn't upset at the moment, I might've given you a kiss instead."

"R-really? Um.. would you consider…?"

"I might reconsider next time… if you don't recklessly put yourself in danger next time" I smirked. I really wanted to kiss him right then and there but I just couldn't resist teasing him and making him squirm a little. Just a smidge.

Anna chuckled at this. "Sorry Alfonse, but it looks like you've been whipped. She got you good!"

Alfonse ignored Anna's little joke "O-of course… I will reconsider my actions next time, Kiran"

"Good. That is what I like to hear, Al. Anyways, we must press onwards! We got generals to defeat, information to gather and a death goddess to kill! And I am going to savor ever last minute her death. We'll make her regret ever setting foot in Askr!"

"Yes… I do like the sound of that. I'm with you until the end, Kiran."

"Save that for the wedding vows, Alfonse." Sharena snickered.

"T-that's not necessary Sharena! I… er… that is to say…" He struggled and stuttered.

"Don't worry Al, I feel the same way. We are in this thing together, you and me."

"Thanks." Al said finally relaxing.

"It's no problem... Especially when you are being so cute." I teased.

Just like that, it was as if PrinceAlfonse.exe had stopped working and windows was trying to find a solution. I feel like I may have been enjoying his reactions too much. His face was as red as a tomato and he was just frozen in place like a statue.

"Hey Anna, is it possible for me to buy some popcorn off of you? This is the best entertainment I've had since the last spring festival." Sharena said jokingly.

"I'll let you have a bag of it for free this time around. I have a feeling that I will be able to recoup the money for the popcorn later." Anna grinned as she somehow manages to pull a bag of unpopped popcorn out of one of her pockets and heated it up with a fire tome.

Al's brain finally managed to process what I had said to him and now he is trying to organize his mind well enough to make a comeback. It took him about five minutes before finally deciding on something to say.

"Well… if I am cute, then you are pretty! That would make us pretty cute."

I snorted, trying to hold back my laughter. It was the cheesiest thing to have ever come out of his mouth... ever. It was in that moment that I was kind of glad I was summoned in Askr. I wouldn't have been able to hear those exact words exit the lips of someone as serious as Al. It was super cute.

"Y-yeah. I guess that would make us pretty cute."

Sherena and Ana both simultaneously choked on the popcorn they were eating. Sharena looked at her brother and then at me in shock. I just shrugged at them. Al had won this round.

"Did… that… really just come out of my brother's mouth?" Sharena asked incredulously.

"Yup and it was the cheesiest and cutest thing he has said so far. It's moments like this one that really make all the fighting that we are doing worth everything and more."

"That is something that everyone here can agree on, myself included." Anna said.

"Then let's move forward so that we can make more moments like these happen in the future! Who's with me?" I shouted.

The rest of the group cheered enthusiastically as we headed even deeper into the Realm of the Dead. It's still strange to me that I have become a leader of some sort to this ragtag group of heroes but I intend on coming out of Hel alive and I will make damn sure that my friends will be there with me.

* * *

**A/N:****I think I have a problem. Everytime I try to write more serious chapters, it always goes back to Alfonse and Kiran fluff. Thank god I have my boyfriend giving me feedback otherwise it wouldve esculated waaay too quickly. Im trying to go for more of a slow burn effect. Also this was probably one of the chapters I was definately excited to write since I started writing this book 3 arc.**

**Also my next few chapters will probably will end up doing the jojo naming thing where the chapters are named after songs. Ive done it with a few other chapters previously but i feel like this is just a convenient way to make intresting names for chapters. **


	18. Somnus

I find myself grinding my teeth in complete frustration as Alfonse stared down the two generals of Hel. I just wanted to get the fight over with so I could milk the information out of them myself. You could cut the tension in the air with a flimsy plastic butter knife. It then occurred to me that I still had my silver dagger with me so perhaps I could just sneak on past them and slice through that tension myself?

"Don't even think about it, Summoner." Líf growled.

"I don't even know what you are talking about." I said dismissively.

"That knife you carry with you. You were going to try to pull a surprise attack on us. You ended up telegraphing your attack like an amateur. Your skills still need work. It would have ended with you dead on the ground with your entrails spilling out." Líf muttered grouchily.

"Geez you really are no fun. You could have at least left out the part about you disemboweling me. It was kind of unnecessary. I get it you want me dead. I don't need to know all the gory details, ya know?"

"This is serious, Summoner. I will kill you and it won't matter how I do it."

I shrugged. "I find that hard to believe, since you've had plenty of opportunities to kill me. Especially all those times you have probably spied on us. I'm not a simpleton, you know. I find it unlikely that Hel wouldn't place a few spies around to follow us, so it stands to reason that she would use her generals to gather that information under the veil of darkness. Your only real attempt at killing me specifically was thwarted by two of your descendants. So until you prove to me otherwise, I will stick with my guns."

"Your schemes won't work on me. You're full of yourself if you think that toying with me will garner the results that you wish to gain."

"And what do you think I'm scheming? Hopefully nothing of the kicking puppies variety..."

"You are trying to get Thrasir and I to rush into battle."

"And why would I want that? Wouldn't it be better for me to try to prevent you two from rushing me down in cold blood? I'm probably stating the obvious but I'm not well versed in combat. So why would I invite two of Hel's generals to come in to slaughter me?" I asked lamely.

"So you are stalling for time?" Thrasir asked.

"Perhaps I am or perhaps I am trying to goad you into fighting the Heroes I have summoned. Orrrrrr… alternatively, I could be awaiting reinforcements~ Which ever you decide could very well change the tide of battle in your favor. If you choose wrongly, the battle will be decisively in my favor." I said mischievously.

"Enough of this!" Thrasir then pulled out Ifinger, also known as the tome with an unfortunate name. Niles would have a field day he ever saw it. Thrasir began to draw power out from Ifinger, resulting in it coalescing into a large ball of green glowing ball of energy and a torrent of wind sharp enough to cut through skin, danced in her bony hands. Perfect. They fell for my trap card. Now, I can put down one piece of the exodia down.

I dodged the attack that Thrasir launched straight at me. I do hate fighting, but the satisfaction of a well made scheme coming into fruition made me feel oddly giddy on the inside. Part of me wished to toy with them forever or until I got bored of them. I hated that part of myself because it made me no better than Veronica who got her entertainment from toying with the Heroes that she had conscripted into her army.

Still, these two had a good grasp of tactics as opposed to the countless undead soldiers who lacked their own mental faculties that the Order has been fighting up until now and I craved a mental challenge that could only be fulfilled through tactics. My tactics are still vastly overshadowed by the other tacticians I have met and done battle against. I still have so much to learn and any chance to test my skills against an opponent of equal or greater skill is something I look forward to.

I gave my signal to Eír and within seconds, Eir launched Lyfjaberg right at Thrasir. Now the fight begins in earnest. Now I must end this as quickly as I can and apply the pressure early on. More importantly, for this to work exactly as planned, I need to maintain the momentum that I gained from goading Thrasir into launching the first attack.

"Kiran, what are you planning?" Al looked at me with confusion.

"Well I can't say everything out loud but I would like you to turn your attention to that area over there." I pointed at an odd looking spot on the battlefield. It had some magic circle bullshit on it and stuff.

"Could that be…?" Alfonse asked

"I think that is how they get their reinforcements in quickly. You think you can spawn camp that and destroy anything that tries to come through there?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by spawn camping, but I am more than capable enough to fight the undead. Just be careful if you are leaving without me... I do worry about you."

"I will come back at a later point. I suspect that there are more of these around the area, so I am going to get the others to secure them."

"Understood. I will do as you wish."

"Thanks. You are a real sweetheart!" I teased, before leaving him to capture the spawn point.

"Watch out!" Sharena warned me.

I dodged another attack from Thrasir, but I did not escape unscathed. I had several cuts on my arms, legs, and a few on my cheeks that oozed blood. Had I not reacted sooner, I would have been severely wounded. I still haven't figured out how wind magic manages to inflict wounds in this way. Tornadoes and hurricanes were powerful enough to knock you off your feet and kill you but I have never seen wind sharp enough to cut through skin until I saw Nino use her elwind tome. I will just have to chalk it off as magic being magic for now.

"You're bleeding are you alright?" Sharena asked.

"I'm not seriously hurt, so I'm ok for now. Anyway, I am going to need your help with a special project. I'm going to need you to distract Líf."

"What? Why? Isn't Thrasir the one attacking us right now? Shouldn't we defeat her first?"

"I am going to have someone else deal with her. I'm more worried about Líf. He seems to be biding his time and forming a plan. I need you to keep him busy so he won't have time to do anything but fight us. Just be careful. He is stronger than you, so you will need to avoid getting hit"

"Of course! I'll distract him for you. Anything for my sister!" She grinned wryly.

I suppressed the urge to groan at her. I'm not even married to Al and she is already calling me sister… well I didn't mind it that much since she was practically like my sister anyway, but it made me feel awkward and embarrassed. Plus this was the battlefield and she chooses to tease me now? I'm in over my head at this rate!

Sharena bid me farewell for the time being, while I watched as Eir came back to attack Thrasir once again. The minutes went by quickly as I directed the flow of battle with near ease. In fact, it was almost too easy. I knew something was amiss but I had to keep up the pressure on the two generals. I couldn't lose focus. One misstep and this entire battle would fall apar-

A scream. Sharena's scream, in fact. It was shrill and ear piercing… it took all of my willpower not to immediately run after her. I needed to remain cool and collected even with all of the stress and pressure I was under already from trying to conduct my strategy. I sent Mercedes and Ranulf her way in a bid to save her while remaining in control of the ebb and flow of the battle. I didn't know it just yet, but it was already slipping through my fingers like the sands of Waikiki beach on a warm summer day. But unlike Waikiki, the sounds of the waves crashing and the people talking and were not present. Only the clashing of steel and the sounds of agony and suffering were to be found here on the battlefield.

In sending Ranulf and Mercedes away from their posts, I opened us up to further attack. I desperately tried to reorganize the plan and adapt to the shift in the power dynamics. Before I knew it, the Order was on the defensive end of the fight. Panic started to creep in me.

"You are already too late Summoner. I'll admit that I almost didn't expect you to be able to nearly best us this time but now… Your life draws to an end. You failed and Princess Sharena is dead. She died because she believed in your abilities unquestioningly." Líf said appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Sökkvabekker was already drenched in blood… Sharena's blood.

"You… you monster! I don't care if you are Prince Alfonse's ancestor… I am not going to surrender to the likes of you!" I pulled out my dagger and pointed it at him.

"Your stance is sloppy and you are being reckless. You can't plan your way out of this one, Summoner"

"I will not let her die and I won't surrender. I don't even know why you even bother critiquing my stance if your end goal is to kill me and the Order of Heroes."

Líf blushed while he glared at my dagger. "How I kill my enemies is of no concern to you, Summoner. You should be more worried about protecting yourself and your foolish allies!"

I raised an eyebrow at him "Like you've got room to talk! You may think of us as being foolish, but this is the battlefield! You might want to take a good look at it before you start trying to lecture me."

"Summoner, you are not in a position to be making threats. You are completely outmatched. You can't bluff with-"

Líf's mini speech was interrupted as he temporarily vanished from sight, Alfonse's blade just barely missing him. I took this opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

"I can and I will! Now is the time Chrom!"

Charging from seemingly nowhere, Chrom valiantly galloped over to Sharena's location. He quickly jumped off his horse and carried Sharena over to his horse and gently lifted her up onto the horse before mounting his steed once more. He then made a mad dash back to me.

"Alfonse, would you kindly do me the honor of intercepting Líf's attack on Chrom? He'll be showing up any minute now." I feigned looking at a nonexistent wristwatch to further illustrate the serious time crunch we were currently under.

"Got it! I'll open the way for Chrom to deliver us Sharena safely. I pray to Askr that she is still with us."

Líf reappeared again in an attempt to stop Chrom from delivering Sharena to us like I predicted. It made me wonder… did Líf intentionally not land a killing blow on her? He did seem hesitant to fight me and Sharena. He doesn't have the same killing intent that he does with Al or Anna. While he rarely targeted Anna, whenever he crossed blades with her, he clearly did not hesitate to strike. It's as if his attempts at killing Sharena and me are very halfhearted. Something about that seemed… off. Everything about Líf felt off to me. I still couldn't put my finger on it but I had a feeling that his hesitancy towards killing me was a huge piece of the mystery pie.

Chrom gently placed Sharena close to me so that I might be able to watch over her while the battle trudged onward. We were in a stalemate though the battle is looking to go in favor of Hel's generals.

"You made a good call Kiran. Princess Sharena would've died if you didn't send for all of us." Chrom said solemnly. Alfonse had assigned Chrom to watch over me and Sharena while he 'sorted things out' with Líf.

"It's true that if I hadn't sent You, Mercedes and Ranulf she would've died but… it was my poor judgement that unnecessarily put her in danger. I made a miscalculation and she nearly paid for it with her life. When this is over… I will need time to reflect on my mistakes."

Chrom shook his head "You and Robin are way too much alike. You both beat yourselves up unnecessarily over things outside of your control. Sharena knew what she was doing was extremely risky but she trusts you and your tactics. We all do. We just need to tread more carefully for now."

"It was my overzealousness that got her nearly killed. She is practically like a sister to me and I would hate to be the one responsible for her death. I just… I was so close… and Al… I think he is very angry at me. I can just feel it. I really don't know what to do Chrom."

"I can't say that he is not angry, but I don't think he will stay that way. At least, not at you. I think he is more angry at Líf and Thrasir. Either way, you have done everything that you could. I'm really not the best person to give out advice but I've done my fair share of fighting recklessly and you are far from that. You pay attention to all the details and carefully make your decisions from that. I think that you lead us well. "

"Don't be silly. Alfonse does most of the fighting and the leading. I just make suggestions on what to do and summon heroes. I have a long way to go before I can be the best tactician in Askr, of that I am most certain."

"You really do take after Robin…" Chrom muttered

"Well, he tutored me quite extensively in tactics. I merely tweak his playbook to better suit my needs. The way he thinks… is intriguing to me. There are plenty of heroes who could've easily tutored me on the subject, but his style resonates with me."

"In that case, I don't think we've got too much to fear. All you need is a push in the right direction and a bit more training with your blade."

"Blegh. Don't remind me. I already got lectured by the glowy dead boi over there for the same reason. I don't give a rat's ass if he is supposedly related to Al, it's still weird for him to be giving me advice even if it is in a backhanded manner. That's like the equivalent of Grima showing up to insult you, but he also low key gives you all the tips and pointers on how to reassemble the Fire Emblem and shove the Falchion up his ass!"

"Maybe he just doesn't want to kill you that easily?" Chrom grimaced. Mostly because of the fact that I mentioned Grima and not because I was using foul language. Chrom was never the type to care about that sort of thing so I felt more comfortable with letting a few curse words slip through my lips.

"That is one possibility. I just can't help but have a sneaking suspicion that our buddy 'ol pal Líf is not exactly who he says he is. I just don't know what he is… who he is… Heck, I don't even know why he is! I'm missing one last major piece of the puzzle and when we find it… it'll be game changing."

Anna then appeared before us using Nóatún's power. "Líf and Thrasir are retreating. We need to follow them before they get away! You think you can lift Sharena back onto Chrom's horse?"

"I don't see an issue with it. We've got to show those dastards that cannot get away with hurting our friends!" Chrom said while he moved to pick Sharena up.

"I agree with Chrom. If they weren't already dead, I would have them pay with their own blood. Let's hurry!"

We nearly managed to catch up to them but they went through what appeared to be a gate to another realm. By the time we went through the gate, we had lost sight of them.

"Damn it! They got away again!" I growled.

"We'll catch up to them eventually, Kiran. I'm just as angry as you are at them." Al frowned.

"Are you upset with me for sending Sharena out to square off with Líf?" I asked quietly

"I… if I am to be perfectly honest… I am. I don't know what you were thinking."

"Sharena is more than capable as a fighter. I thought her skills would be enough to distract Líf long enough for me to form a proper strategy to take him down. Sharena is also our only lancer which gave her a weapon advantage over Líf. I just… miscalculated. There really is no good excuse for it"

"It is true that I am upset that you made her fight in a fight that she was not evenly matched in and that you were overextending yourself… I am more concerned about the whereabouts of Líf and Thrasir. They are the cause of her suffering, not you."

"You are way too forgiving Al, but you are right. There is also another problem. I'm sure you have already noticed it, right?"

"I have. We are back in Askr, but something seems off. It feels… dead."

"Then… maybe we are in an alternate Askr? It's a good possibility." I said as my eyes scanned the area. We were in a vast field of wildflowers. While the plant life seemed alive, it was as if everything was eternally frozen in time.

"Sharena would love to see this. Askr Daisies are her favorite flowers. They are only found in the plains and fields of Askr… did you know that?"

"No I didn't know that. I always knew that Sharena liked making flower crowns out of them, but I didn't know they only grew in Askr. What about you? Do you have a fondness for a particular flower?"

Not particularly but… I suppose if I were to pick one I would pick the Dragon flowers. They are very striking in color and they are said to grant anyone who comes across them with strength. It's fascinating to me because there's so little known about their effects"

"I will have to make a mental note of that, then. My favorite is the Oriental Lily. It's a flower from my world. I'm not sure if there are any lilies in Zenith though."

"I do believe that there are lilies in our world but they are not native to Askr."

"If I asked you nicely… do you think I could get some lily seeds to grow them in the garden?" I asked my wonderful and amazing boyfriend while fluttering my eyelashes at him.

"I don't see why not. There is one condition, however."

"Name your price, Al."

"On the eve of the winter festival… I want you to help me with Sharena's presents."

"That's all? Of course I'll be part of the Envoy with you!" I beamed.

"Truly? You would do that with me? Sharena still believes that the Envoy is real and that they'll give her anything she asks for if she's been good for the whole year… we will have to get her a lot of presents."

"It's really no issue. After everything that has happened to her this year, it couldn't hurt to spoil her just a little bit. Back home, I had a similar tradition where a man named Santa Claus is supposed to give gifts to good boys and girls. He is more of a legend told by parents to kids to get them to behave. In reality, it's the parents that put the gifts under the tree. Unfortunately for me, I found out the truth very early on because my brother thought it would be funny if he told me. Kaiden was kind of a jerk when he was much younger." I said while scrunching up my nose.

"It's really fascinating that both our worlds share similar traditions like that. It really means a lot to me that Sharena stays happy. I've already lost Father, so the only family I've got left is Mother and Sharena. I just want them to stay alive and be happy. If giving Sharena a mountain of presents on the eve of the winter festival will achieve that… then it is worth it."

"I think that's very sweet of you. You're always so kind and thoughtful… it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. It's also the reason I think you'd be a great king and an amazing… er um... nevermind." I was very close to saying he'd be a good father in the future. The thought made me feel flustered and nervous. I was far from ready to become a mother, much less a wife. However, the idea of having his children sometime in the future… it didn't seem all that bad to me. I dare not speak of this out loud when we have only recently become an item.

"Er… may I ask what you were going to say?" Alfonse asked politely. I could tell that he was enjoying the attention. His smile told me as much.

"...Fine. I swear... if you keep smiling at me like that, I feel like I will just melt away into a puddle of goop! Promise you won't laugh at me?"

"Of course I wouldn't. You have my word."

"I was going to say that I think… that you would make a good father one day. It's kinda silly to think about when we are still in the middle of a war and I would probably make for a terrible mother with my workaholic tendencies but…"

"K-Kiran I think you would do fine as you are… I've always wanted my own children but we have plenty of time before we have to worry about it. Besides you have a terrible habit of selling yourself short. I would never laugh at you for wanting a family of your own." He then pulled me into a warm embrace. I could feel my face practically burning up like crazy.

"Zenith to the love birds! Sharena is waking up… and we also found something. I'm not sure if I like what I saw. It just feels like something is very wrong" Anna said as she rushed over to us.

"Then let's check on her. I may have to summon another healer for all of the injuries we've been getting lately. I fear that Mercedes might become unable to keep up soon."

"That may be true but I know how summoning is affecting you. We must be careful" Alfonse furrowed his brows.

"Let's just take things one step at a time. First we check on Sharena, then we investigate what Anna found, then we'll make a decision on whether or not we should attempt another summoning. Sound good?" I asked.

"Yes, you're right. Our first priority is my sister."

We rushed over to Sherena, who was sitting up on her but was still clearly in pain. Mercedes was diligently using her healing staff to lessen the Askran Princess' pain.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! This really hurts… that jerk is going to get what's coming to him." Sharena winced while covering her lower stomach with her hand.

"I'm sorry, Sherena. I really shouldn't have put you up against someone who was stronger and more practiced with a blade. It wasn't fair of me and I really shouldn't have been as overextended with my reach. I will take full responsibility for any-"

"Oh shush! I told you didnt I? I'll support you all the way and it made me a little happy that you would trust me with that sort of task. Most people tend to write me off even with my lance skills. So don't beat yourself up too much ok?"

"You're way too forgiving Sharena. I do have a hard time believing that people would write you off like that though. I've seen you shish kabob multiple soldiers in one go once. All with a smile, I might add. It's painfully clear to me that you are good at what you do. With a bit more refinement and strength training, I would say that you are just as talented as the other lancers in the Order."

"Geez, you make it seem like I enjoyed killing those soldiers like that. I was just glad that I was still alive. The adrenaline rush just does weird things to me I guess."

"Gods… you both need to be more careful. I can't afford to lose either of you here. How are your wounds Sharena?" Alfonse asked

"Mercedes patched me up really good and she managed to mend some of the damage done to my clothes but I still need a bit more time. It still hurts, so I have to take it a little easier for now."

"Did you happen to see what Anna found earlier? She said she found something really creepy."

"I did see two huge piles of flowers over in the distance. I just don't understand how we got back home…" Sharena squinted.

"Al and I believe this is an alternate Askr that resides within Hel's realm. Everything just seems to be a bit… still here."

"That's honestly... much more creepier than those flowers we found. Some of them were my favorite flowers so it's still kind of creepy, but a dead Askr… now that gives me the shivers."

"Anna… can you take us to those flowers?" Alfonse asked quietly. His face was paler than a sheet.

Anna marched us over to the "discovery" and it became pretty apparent to me who the flowers were for and what their purpose was. I approached a large pile of lilies. Not just any lilies, but white oriental lilies. The other pile was equally as big, but covered in daisies. I suddenly felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. It was clear as day… I was standing at my own gravesite.

"I've only told Al just a few moments ago that these were my favorite. I've never told anyone else. At least until just now anyway. This is… They are..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.

"Memorials. To you and Sharena" Al said as he instinctively grasped the handle of his blade.

"I think I'm going to feel a little sick. I just hope I don't find one for me. This is already too much for me" Anna's looked like she was about to puke.

"This has to be… no… but it only makes sense if it is…" I muttered.

"Then you've already figured out who left it there?" Alfonse asked me knowingly.

"Líf... I think I now understand why he seemed off to me. He looks exactly like you, talks just like you, acts like you… he is you, Al. That's why he's failed to kill me and Sharena multiple times already. That's why these flowers are here. Because Líf… or Alfonse put them here. I died in this world along with Sharena. The other you must've suffered so much… Hel…She is responsible for all of this. I will kill her… and I will enjoy every moment of it"

* * *

**A/N:****For the record I am definately not ded. Im just slowly writing this whenever I can. This may be the last chapter you'll see for a while as Ive gone through all of my pre-written chapters. I like to write in bulk and then release chapters out semi regularly. Im still figuring out how to balance my newfound worklife with my fanfiction writing.****Ngl, this chapter was another one that I was looking forward to. I had a couple of ideas on how I was going to approach the revealing of the memorials. He first idea was for Kiran to not mention her favorite flowers and than have her reveal it to everyone while Alfonse has a near heartattack and the other idea was the one I eventually decided to go with in this chapter. I figured it would be a nice way to have them make the "Lif is an Alfonse Alt" connection.****Im glad you all got my Awakening reference though from the last chapter. Alfonse is unfourtunately the punching bag of this arc I guess. Honestly, with each new chapter they release in FEH I've become convinced that while Al is clearly in charge of everything more or less, he is pretty much whipped. Anna and Sharena practically dunked on him for asking Peony how old she is. Which oddly slightly mirrors something I'm currently writing.****Also... as for how Líf got lillies from Kiran's world... Im thinking that he somehow managed to sneak into Earth a few times before eventually deciding to grab some seeds from them so he can mass produce them in large quantities to put on his Kiran's grave. The idea of Lif trying to buy them from a florist on Earth is kinda funny in it's own way. **


	19. Morphogenetic Sorrow

There was a moment of silence that followed my declaration. They all looked at me with shock and worry. The most concerning part of it was… that I didn't care a single bit how or what they thought of me. I could only feel a burning hatred for Hel and the overwhelming desire to watch as she died a slow and agonizing death. I wanted her to feel the pain of every soul that was trapped here for eternity while desperately clinging to her last breath. Did she even breathe? It didn't matter to me in the end. I only wanted her to suffer.

"Kiran, you are making me worry about you." Al said with concern.

"You always worry. I'll be fine." I grumbled

"I meant that you are making me more worried about you than normal."

"I don't see why. We share a goal of beating Hel out existence don't we? Doesn't any of this bother you at all?" I motioned to the memorials.

"Of course it does! It means there is at least one version of our world that died out because of Hel! There are likely many others like this one that lost the fight too. We share a goal, but I do not find pleasure at the thought of killing others. Not even Hel."

"Kiran, you are not acting like yourself. I've seen you forgive Veronica and the Muspellian princesses… we have all seen you let Eír join our ranks despite knowing the risks involved. I've never seen you react so… violently?" Anna added.

"There's a big difference between allowing Eir into the Order and Hel's crimes against the worlds at large. At least Veronica and Laevatein are human beings that are still capable of feeling. Hel is more like a thing than a person. She is a goddess with no compassion, no empathy… nothing. I understand that the cycle of life and death is important, but she is stepping beyond her realm to gain more power. Hel will see no mercy from me."

"That's not all true… I remember a time when Mother held me in her arms and smiled at me. I…" Eir was struggling to remember it. It seemed to be a distant memory at best.

"Eir… I know that she is your Mother, but I don't think… that she has your best interests at heart. No mother should ever raise a weapon against her own children. When this is all over, you will be welcome to stay in the Order if you wish."

"I know this is very unsettling…I'm in the same boat. I want to defeat Hel as much as anyone else here. We just want you to be careful. If not for your own sake than for my brother's. You're giving him a near heart attack from all the worrying he's doing."

"Both of you are going to be the actual death of me one day" Al groaned.

"I hope not. I put a lot of effort into keeping you alive, ya know." I half joked.

"Yes, I am well aware of that Kiran. W-when Hel cursed me… you took care of me. You've even protected me in your own ways ever since then. I can only hope to repay you by making sure you stay safe."

"Well… I mean… even though we were already best friends, at that point I already had the biggest crush on you. So, when Hel placed that curse on you… I was very upset. I thought… that you were going to die and I felt like my heart was being torn right out of my chest. I know it sounds cheesy and cliche, but it's true."

"O-oh I see… then in hindsight… I was a fool for not noticing it then. Thinking back on it now… it was actually pretty obvious. Especially when… well you know…" Al shifted his gaze away from me in embarrassment.

"Ooooh! Are you referring to that one time before we fought Hel?"

"K-kiran! Don't say it like that! You're going to give everyone the wrong idea!"

"WHAT?!?" Sharena and Anna screeched. Eír just looked at us questioningly.

"You said it yourself that night that you didn't care if other people took it the wrong way. It's not like we had sex or anything." I shrugged.

"Kiran… please…" he begged

"YOU DID WHAT?" Anna and Sharena said in unison. Sharena shot a death glare at her brother while Anna looked at him creepily with a big grin on her face.

"Geez you're all making it sound like it was a bigger deal than it really was" I grumbled.

"Then what did you do with our crown prince? I need details you know… I do love me a good story ya know?" Anna asked excitedly.

"Yeah… for blackmail." Al said dejectedly.

"Guilty as charged."

"We only had a pillow fight and then we collapsed on the bed next to each other. Al was supposed to sleep on the bed while I slept in the armchair, but he insisted that he would sleep on the chair instead. We argued over who would get the bed, but other than the pillow fight nothing else happened. It wasn't like I was going to say 'Hey, I know that you could be dying tomorrow, but I'm really into you. Wanna bang?' That would've been awkward."

"Y-yes. That would've been a bit… forward of you. More so than usual."

"I hope you both realize that it is highly inappropriate to be sleeping in the same bed together, right? It's no wonder there were rumors floating around. At first I thought it was just a misunderstanding and it was work related but now..." Sharena grumbled.

"Rumors?" Al asked.

"The maids saw you leaving Kiran's room the morning after. After that, Kiran was spotted entering your room late at night and then she left early in the morning. They were saying that you two were… you know…"

"Again. We were just having a conversation about the King's passing but I was starting to feel unwell so I had to stay. Nothing happened then either. Those maids can talk all they want. It's all just rumors anyways."

"I'm just saying you need to be more careful with this sort of thing. I know that you grew up differently, but it's still very much frowned upon in Askr to sleep around like that." Sharena warned.

"I didn't think you would be the kind of person who would care about that sort of thing Sharena, but I get it. It's still sort of frowned upon in my world too, but it's usually the religious types who put stock into virginity. It is not uncommon for people in my world to move in together and to have physical intimacy before marriage. Birth control and safe practises have a lot to do with it. Basically, if you take the right precautions where I'm from, your chances of having children before you are ready or catching a disease are significantly reduced. Of course, unless there's a magical equivalent of that… Askr probably doesn't have that sort of thing"

"I don't believe anything like that exists in Zenith yet. However, it makes sense that you would be a bit more relaxed about erm… well you know." Al gulped nervously

"What? You mean sex? It's just a natural part of life just as much as dying is. It's not something to get your princely panties up in a bunch over." I joked.

"This is all fine and dandy, but I think that I have learned more than I wanted to about your relationship with Alfonse. Can we just… go back to finding Líf please? He did just seriously wound Sharena earlier. We cannot let him continue hurting people like that!"

"Er… yeah… that's right. I'm still actually pretty pissed off about that. Let's continue following the trail and hope that we don't see more memorials." I grumbled

"Agreed. While I appreciated the distraction, as embarrassing as it was, we must continue forward. I do not wish to see the memorials of my loved ones. Losing Father is already too much for me to fathom right now. I still have a hard time believing that he's gone but… I also know that I must move on." Alfonse responded grimly.

"Al, I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to lose my father. It must be tough fighting through all of this without getting the chance to grieve properly.. If you ever just need to talk it out, I'll listen. You are still human, after all."

What I said was true. I really wanted to take the burden off of his shoulders and his heart. Unfortunately, I was very well aware of the cruel irony in all of this. I was essentially his father's murderer. It didn't matter that Hel was the one who actually landed the killing blow, but the fact that I planned the whole damn thing. It didn't matter that Gustav asked me to do it to save Al, it was still wrong. Everything about this was all wrong.

"Thanks, Kiran. I could say the same to you, however. I know how Father's death weighs on you heavily. I just wanted to let you know that it was never your fault. None of us saw it coming."

"No… that's… it has always been my fault. I am glad that you wish to comfort me despite your own loss. I just… I still need time. I know that it was rather selfish of me to offer you a shoulder to cry on when my own emotional wounds are still fresh, but… it's all I can do to lessen the burden you carry." I sighed.

"I would hardly call that fair. You shoulder too many burdens all at once and I fear that one day, you'll collapse under the weight of it all. I will always gladly accept your company but you must be willing to accept my help and cry on my shoulder when you need to. You need to take your own advice for a change. You are just as human as I am, after all."

"Well I suppose I may take you up on that offer soon-ish. It's been a while since I've been able to vent properly."

"That reminds me… we haven't done any sparring lately. That will have to be something we will have to go back to doing once the war is over. Your footwork still needs fine tuning and your swings are still sloppy and sluggish. Er… that is to say… it could help you blow off steam in a constructive manner"

"Ugh… don't even remind me. This has already been the second time you commented on my swordsmanship. Well… technically, the other you told me off first, and then you did. I know it's not great but I had hoped I would be at least somewhat serviceable with my throwing dagger." I grumbled.

We walked and talked while looking for Líf, but Líf was nowhere to be found. We searched for the rest of the day before calling it quits. We set up camp in a forest and ate more of the dried up nasty ass rations that we had packed up before coming into Helheim. I found myself not sleeping next to Al this time. I just didn't feel like dealing with Sharena suddenly going off on me for being too inappropriate with him and the conversation I had with Al earlier about his father brought up memories that I've been repressing since Gustav died.

I didn't want to fall asleep due to the constant nightmares that have haunted me since I've entered Helheim. Nearly every night I find myself reliving the last moments of Gunthra and Gustav. The nightmares were not very clear or vivid but it was enough to make me want to avoid sleeping altogether at times. At first they only happened occasionally, but after entering Hel they had become much more frequent.

I struggled to stay awake but eventually, I succumbed to the torture that awaited me in slumber. I had begun to wish I had chosen to sleep next to Al again, if only because cuddling with him gave me less nightmares. I tossed and I turned on the ground I was sleeping on but no relief came to me. A few hours into my fitful sleep, I heard the sound of footsteps. I woke up and rubbed my eyes in to get rid of the gunk encrusted on my eyelids. I grabbed my dagger and followed the trail.

In hindsight, it would've been smarter to wake up the rest of the group, but my sleep deprived brain was unable to plan that far ahead. I was only awake enough to remember to bring my dagger. I didn't even bring Breidablik with me. I walked for what seemed like half an eternity before I finally found where the sounds were coming from.

"Summoner… why are you here?" Líf grumbled.

"You woke me up. Don't you know that it's rude to wake a lady up when she is trying to get some beauty sleep?" I grouched.

Líf's eyes narrowed down at me as if he were trying to intimidate me but then softened. I noticed that his eyes were exactly the same as Al's. Not in color, but in expression. His eyes were more of a dull lifeless rusty red color compared to Al's bright blue eyes. Al's eyes were more… I don't know how to say it without sounding like a novice poet. To be fair, Líf was actually dead but even then, there was something that still screamed "Alfonse" to me. I felt as though… It was all my fault. It was such an odd feeling because as far as I was aware, I didn't do anything to Líf that would make me feel this way.

"It was very unwise of you to come here alone, Summoner. Or do you wish to end it here and now? I will gladly watch the life fade away from your body if you give yourself up willingly"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. It really is a shame though... This forest was so lively and colorful when I last visited it. I think… that we had one of the Halloween festivals here. I'm guessing… that this realm hasn't been kind to you either."

"And I will do whatever it takes to get it all back. To take back what was stolen from me… I must take it away from him. All of it."

"Even me? Is that what you really want? Killing me is not going to bring this place back to life. It's not going to solve the pain and the guilt, Líf."

"That is where you are wrong, Summoner. In order to bring a dead world back to life, I must sacrifice this one. You just wouldn't understand." Líf said almost rather defensively.

"You're right. I don't understand. I don't understand how this solves anything. Let's just say for a moment you succeed in killing me and everyone in my Askr. Let's also say that in this scenario you succeed in bringing everyone in your own Askr back. It doesn't change a damn thing. Al will become like you are now and my Askr will end up just like this one."

"I don't care. That will be his problem and not mine. Even if everyone were to hate me when I succeed, I will finally pass on knowing that my work is done."

"That's insane! The only thing you are doing is helping Hel create a cycle of torment that is unending! You do realize that Hel will end up reinvading Askr and killing everyone again afterwards, right?"

"That was not part of the agreement." He grumbled.

"Líf… please… you don't have to do this! It's not what she would have wanted!" I pleaded.

"The only one who can speak for my beloved, is herself. You may look like her, talk like her, and act like her… but you are just a mirror image of the woman that used to hold me. Just looking at you is another reminder of all of my failures."

I frowned. I did not approve of his plans at all. How could I, when it meant trading my life for another version of myself? How could I, when it meant all of my friends in the Order and all that I have worked for would've been in vain? Yet… I couldn't help but feel a bit selfish for not allowing him to kill me. Líf and the other me didn't deserve to have their lives taken in the manner it was taken. Even so… it was not my place to try to play god. On the battlefield, I can control the ebb and flow of the battle but not even I get to decide who lives and who dies. All I can do is lessen the losses.

"Don't look at me in that way, Summoner. I don't want your pity. I don't even want to see your face."

"Líf… you may not think of me as the same person as your summoner but I… I still see the man I fell in love with. You may not be the one I fell for in my world, but you are still like him to me. It saddens me that we must continue fighting as enemies. It is disheartening to me that you are walking a dark path."

"You are just as foolish, naive, and stubborn as she was too. It's too late for me to stop. I don't want to stop and I won't until Askr is restored to its rightful state."

"Then… I have no words left for you. I choose to stand my ground no matter what. I will not die today. Not by your hands, nor by Hel's scythe. Maybe it is selfish of me but I… I cannot leave everyone else to die unceremoniously. I am still asking you to not follow through with this but since you are serious about doing this, then I will not go easy on you when next we meet." I then turned around to take my leave.

"You aren't going anywhere, Summoner. If you will not voluntarily give up your life to me… I will take it for myself!" His eyes glowed a bright fluorescent red and in a flash, he drew his sword and rushed in towards me.

Fueled by pure instinct, I quickly drew out my silver dagger and parried his first attack. I then tried to make a run for it, using the forest trees as cover. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, knowing that eventually, I will fall to Lífs blade if I don't do something. All I could think of was running as fast as I could towards the camp and alerting everyone to Líf's presence and his general interest in well… murdering me in cold blood. I thanked myself for sticking to Frederick's insane training regiment that he made me do on the daily. At the very least, it's made me fast enough to avoid getting my head chopped off by an edgy version of my boyfriend. I just prayed to Askr that I could find Al on time.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I know it has been awhile, but I have come bearing a gift. Anyway, in all seriosness, Ive been struggling with writing lately. Ive been writing chapter 20 for like the past month and a half and Im still stuck on some things. It's really frustrating since I dont get a whole lot of time between work, getting my ass handed to me on chapter 4 on the Cindered Shadows dlc for Three Houses, and Animal crossing. Im also an essential worker so... I dont have as much free time as other people during the pandemic. At least I can still get paid with a temporary 2 dollar pay raise.**

**Sorry, thats probably just excuses. This fic has been my pet project for about three years so It would be a shame if I didnt push through ya know? I will continue writing as I am able too. Im seriously resisting the temptation to start a new fic or two but that would not be a good idea. Plot bunnies are going to be the death of me. Im going to set those aside for a later date though. Im talking a side series to this one where Dead!Kiran gets revived and sent to Garreg Mach as sort of a trial to revive the Dead!Askr. Just today I came up with an idea for a FE3H and Ace Attorney crossover with Byleth being a defense attorney, Rhea the judge, and Seteth the main prosecutor. There are more details involved with both ideas but if I explain further, this A/N will end up as a huge two essay. The point is that the plots for both are probably a lot better than how I'm describing them right now.**

**Anyway, Im hoping that I will get past this block soon because last thing I want is to abandon this project for other projects... because if I know myself well enough... well those other projects will probably end up getting dropped too. Sometimes, it is important to push through your slumps to finish something ya know? At least, so long it is within reason anyways! I know that one of my pet peeves is when the author of a fic I like is like "I have writer's block :(" and then the fic proceeds to never see the light of day again. I have my goals for this fic in mind still, so I'm looking forward to writing that arc when the Helheim arc is done.**

**Also... poor Al. Press F to pay respects. **


	20. Ashes of Dreams

Chop! Clunk!

Chrom was normally a heavy sleeper but heard some noises coming from deep within the forest. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, feeling pretty irritable but alert. It was then that he noticed that Kiran's bedroll was empty. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he realized that Breidablik was still next to the bedroll.

Chrom quickly took Falchion and prepared his horse. He cursed under his breath before nudging the Askran Prince who was somehow still asleep though all of the noise.

"Not now Kiran… five more minutes…" he grumbled in his sleep.

"Alfonse, I need you to wake up right now. Kiran is missing."

Alfonse immediately shot up from out of his bed roll in a frenzy. He scrambled to grab his own sword.

"Why is Breidablik still here? This is… oh gods. No! No! No! I can't..." Alfonse panicked. Sharena was still recovering from Líf's attack and he nearly lost her. The thought of losing Kiran was nearly unthinkable to him. Of course, he knew that Kiran was a mortal just as much as he was, but even he had a hard time processing that idea when he saw the other Kiran's grave.

Chrom quickly retrieved his horse and offered to let Alfonse ride with him. Alfonse briefly considered waking up the others but he feared that he was already on borrowed time. The longer it took for him to find Kiran, the likelihood of him finding her dead and lifeless on the ground skyrocketed. Logically, having more people on the search would cover more ground and therefore make it more likely for him to find her but he could barely keep his wits about him.

Al grabs Breidablik and rushes to mount the horse. Amidst all of the commotion, Anna woke up to see Alfonse having a near panic attack.

"What's going on? Can't a girl get her beauty sleep?" Anna grouched.

"Gone. She's vanished." Was all Alfonse could manage to say

"Wait… you mean…?"

Alfonse merely held Breidablik out for Anna to see. Anna immediately looked at Kiran's bedroll only to find it empty. Anna's entire body tensed up and her face turned five shades paler than normal.

"Understood. You go on ahead and I will wake up the others. By the gods… we can't afford to lose her. I don't want to lose another friend." Anna then scrambled to wake the others.

With Alfonse in tow, Chrom galloped into the expanse of trees. They eventually found a single trail of footprints and followed them further into the forest. The sounds grew louder and eventually they managed to see a flash of white and gold followed by a flash of black and electric blue.

In the distance, they could see Kiran dodging attacks from the former king of Askr. Chrom urged his horse to get in closer so he and Alfonse could intervene.

"You can't avoid me forever, Summoner." Líf taunted

"I don't have to." Kiran grunted as she barely dodged another barrage of Líf's attacks.

"Your friends can't help you now, Kiran." He said as he continued to hunt her.

"You're wrong! Alfonse will come to my aid like he always has!"

"How foolish and reckless." Líf growled.

"I've done things more reckless than this you know. My faith in him is not unwarranted. We rely on each other to keep ourselves from killing ourselves from sheer stupidity. I'm sure you know that already though."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Líf's eyes glowed red before lunging at her.

Kiran attempted to dodge once more but tripped on an inconveniently placed tree root. She fell flat on the ground face first. She tried to crawl while attempting to get back on her feet but Líf finally caught up to her and put her in a choke hold.

At the same time, Chrom and Alfonse had finally managed to catch up to the both of them. Kiran struggled and fought with all that she could but there was not much she could do in the compromising position she was in. Being lifted up by the neck definitely limited her options for escape.

"Al-fonse… stop… I ca-can't breathe!" She barely managed to form the words.

"That would be the point, Summoner." Líf grumbled.

"That's enough, Líf. You will not harm her any further." Alfonse declared as he charged at Líf.

"L-Líf…I'm not into… being choked." Kiran gasped.

Líf loosened his grip on Kiran's throat slightly. It embarrassed him that he knew what she was implying. Before he knew it, he found himself blushing at her. Which did not help with the implications of him enjoying the prospect of him crushing her completely. Líf chastised himself for letting his past feelings for his late fiancée get the better of him.

Alfonse took advantage of Líf's momentary lapse to land the first strike on Líf. Kiran was then tossed aside like a worthless ragdoll and she landed with a loud thud. She gasped and coughed, struggling to breathe normally. Chrom quickly rushed to her aid. Kiran was definitely vulnerable in her current state. She never was the strongest person in the Order, either. She wasn't exactly a weak person persay, but she was much more prone to injury for one reason or another.

Some of it was due to a lack of defense training but she also had a slight tendency to put herself in harm's way. Mostly it was unintentional, but Chrom knew that Kiran would likely interject herself into a situation where she could hurt herself if it meant keeping Alfonse safe. He hadn't known her for very long, but he couldn't help but feel that he should keep her safe at all costs. She was already like a friend to him in a strange way. Chrom wasn't a strategist, but even he could see that Kiran was at the very center of the Order. It was also obvious that her biggest weakness was her affections towards the prince of Askr.

"Are you alright?"

"No. I feel like actual garbage right now, Chrom. I was a naïve fool who thought that she could make one of Hel's generals see the error of his ways. I wanted to believe that he still had some good left in him somewhere. I was nearly blind to the danger that I was putting myself in. Now… I'm not sure if I will ever get through to him. He seems determined to wipe us all from existence in exchange for the ones who have died in this Askr to come back to life. I feel like I…" Tears threatened to escape from Kiran's eyes.

Chrom and the other heroes rarely saw her true face as it was nearly always covered by a hood. However, Kiran was so disheveled that she didn't even realize that her hood was down and that her vulnerabilities were on full display for anyone in the area to see. It was quite unnerving to see her in this much distress when he was so used to Kiran being so kind, supportive and reliable. To see her shivering in fear, quaking like a leaf in the wind felt contrary to her normal self.

Chrom was not an idiot, however. Anyone who had been nearly strangled to death would likely be afraid too. The Shepherds have often mentioned that Chrom was a bleeding heart type of guy and would probably help everyone he could, whenever he could. He did pick up an amnesiac tactician and trusted him without hesitation, after all.

"You haven't failed yet, Kiran. I promise to help you until the end. Askr needs you and you need us. The others will arrive shortly and we'll get you healed up"

"I hope you are right, Chrom. For everyone's sake, I pray to Askr that you're right." Kiran coughed.

Anna, Eir and Mercedes were rushing to find Kiran before the worst could befall her. Anna had 'volunteered' Eir to be in the search party out of fear that Eir would try to assassinate Sharena at her weakest. Sharena tried to come along with the commander to search for the Summoner but after much coaxing from Anna and the heroes, she reluctantly agreed to stay behind while Ranulf volunteered to watch over Sharena.

Anna bit her lip in frustration upon the realization that they were severely lacking in manpower. Normally this would be remedied by a quick summoning session with Kiran, but with summoning currently having adverse effects on Kiran, they were trying to avoid it. She couldn't deny that they could use a second healer and that having a mage would offer the extra firepower they needed.

Eir flew ahead of the group to scout out the area and returned quickly in a flash. "I found her. She's barely holding on… I don't want her to die. It all feels so strange to me. I've never felt that way towards anyone before."

Anna blinked for a moment. She was happy to hear that Kiran was still alive. However, Eir's confusion towards her desire to see the Summoner live caught Anna off guard. Kiran has been Eir's captor since the start of the war, yet she befriended her and showed her kindness. Anna then reasoned that perhaps Kiran became sort of a companion to her. A friend. It boggled her mind how Kiran managed to befriend people the way she does.

"Neither do I. Lead the way, Eir."

Eir nodded grimly as she let Mercedes hop on Lyfja. If Kiran was to survive she was going to need all the healing she could get and she needed it asap. When they arrived, Alfonse and Líf were already locked in combat. Líf's attacks were cold and calculated. Not one move was wasted. Brutal, but effective. Alfonse was no slouch however, and one could see traces of Líf's sword techniques but used with a different effect. While Líf's attacks were economical, Alfonse had a more passionate approach. That is to say… Alfonse was using his feelings of rage and his desire to protect Kiran and turning it into a sharp focused assault against his opponent. Both used the same techniques and flourishes but the flair was different.

Mercedes made her way to Kiran and began to heal her. Kiran's entire body went limp during the entire procedure. It was as if her entire body was supercharged with healing magic to where nearly all of her muscles relaxed themselves. It was clear that her body was under a lot of stress from being nearly strangled to death and it finally gave out under the warmth of Mercedes' healing magic.

"Mercedes… I've really done and screwed up this time. I… thank you so much. I can never repay your kindness enough. Can you forgive a fool like me for overworking you like this?"

"Now, now… you must not talk like that. I do this because I believe helping you through all of your scraps is the right thing to do. Remember when you summoned me and you called out for my help? I heard your voice and I knew that I had to help."

"Funny… lots of heroes tell me that but I don't say anything when I summon heroes. Not aloud at least. I've always wondered… what did you hear me say?"

"Hmm… I remember that you were begging and pleading with all of your heart for help. 'We are on death's door. We won't last much longer here without your help' those were your words. I didn't expect you to literally be at death's door, though. Even though I've helped heal many people during battles, I've never seen a war as violent and brutal as this one."

"Neither have I and I've been through two other wars already. I'm holding on for my dear life Mercedes… but I don't know how long I can keep going. I promised His Highness that I would keep an eye on Al… but in the end he's the one protecting me. I am always the one that needs saving. Even so I… would do anything for Al. He's very dear to me. I just can't take watching him suffer like this!"

"Kiran, we will do everything we can to make sure Líf can finally rest easy. I understand that it hurts you to see him going down this way but we all are worried about you. You've got to take care of yourself. Alfonse would be devastated if he were to lose you. So please… as your friend I want you to take it easy for now."

"But I can't afford to just take it easy. So much of this war rides on the decisions and choices I make. I can't take it easy knowing that you and the others are breaking their backs and toiling away just to stay alive amongst all of the living dead here. I'd be near useless otherwise. I can't really fight without getting myself almost killed and I can't summon without hurting myself. All that's left of me is this" Kiran pointed at her skull.

"I don't think that's true. Kiran, you have the worst habit of belittling yourself and you know it. You need rest. Doctor's orders. If you do not follow them, I am sure I can get Prince Alfonse to keep you from doing anything too strenuous."

"You wouldn't dare!" Kiran gasped

"We can and we will. It will be for your own good." Chrom said firmly

"You would tag team against me, Chrom? You hurt my feelings" Kiran pouted

"It's good to see that Mercedes has mended you enough for you to start acting more like your usual self. We are bound to you by contract. Not just that, but you are a friend. It is our responsibility as your friend to protect you."

"I agree. It just wouldn't feel right to let you throw yourself at Líf's mercy."

"Mercedes… I think it's time that I summon another healer. I'm worried that I'm hogging you all to myself." Kiran said quietly.

"While another would be a large boon for us, the risk is not worth it right now. You need time to recover. Kiran you need to just let us do the work. We can handle it."

"I know, but what am I supposed to do? I can't just sit and watch."

"We'll discuss this with Alfonse once this battle is over"

Kiran sighed after realizing that her attempts at protesting were futile. She watched as Anna and Eir joined in the fight with Prince Alfonse against Líf. Just as they finally defeated him, he vanished. The first thing Alfonse did was run straight towards Kiran and held onto her tightly in an embrace.

"Gods… I almost lost you. Kiran, please don't run off like that again. I understand that you wanted to… make the other me see reason but I can't let you run off by yourself anymore. Can you stand on your own?"

"I don't have any broken bones. I think I'll be ok for now"

Kiran stood up on her own, her own stubborn nature rearing its head at him. However, her legs were shaking like jelly as if it were taking all of her strength just to stand. Her body betrayed her pride. Alfonse shook his head at her.

"I will carry you back."

"Huh? Al what do you mean? The campsite is quite a bit far from here. I can walk!" Kiran protested.

"I'm plenty strong enough to carry you the whole way through. I may not look it, but it's true"

"But aren't you tired from all the fighting you just did? You need to get looked at first"

Mercedes chuckled as the scene unfolded. It was a little silly of them to be arguing over each other's wellbeing. It was little moments like this that made her want to continue through all of the pain of the war she had found herself fighting in.

"Look… I'll let you carry me but you've got to get yourself healed up! You look like a chopped onion with how many wounds you have!" Kiran conceded.

"Right. Mercedes, would you please heal me? Your work is highly appreciated." Alfonse asked.

"Of course. After all, you'll need all of your strength for our journey back to camp" Mercedes said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Kiran groaned knowing that Mercedes was basically enjoying blackmailing her into resting.

After Mercedes fully healed Alfonse, Alfonse scooped Kiran up, carrying her bridal style and began to head back to camp. Kiran blushed and covered her face to hide her embarrassment.

"I don't understand it…" Eir said quietly.

"Is something wrong?" Mercedes asked.

"Wouldn't it be more efficient to let Kiran fly with me on Lyfja?" Eir studied the lovebirds closely, as if she were trying to understand their behaviors.

"You are not wrong but… I think we should leave them alone for now. Kiran doesn't really listen to anyone but Prince Alfonse. That isn't to say she doesn't listen at all, it's just he's the only one that can get through to her and change her mind if she's set on doing something. I also like to just watch them be together. They are just so cute and adorable, wouldn't you agree Chrom?"

"Huh? Er… um well… they sort of remind me of when I first married my wife. It's a welcome change of scenery from all of the death and fighting, that's for sure."

"It's oddly warming. I'm not familiar with such displays of affection. I just find it strange."

"It's easier to understand once you feel it, Princess."

"Is that so? That's a shame… I… wish I knew what it is like. They seem so happy together even though… they will die soon. All mortals who try to oppose Mother are killed and then they get added into the ranks of her army."

"Do not be so sure about that, Eir. I've seen first hand that the future can be changed. Nothing is set in stone just yet. We will all die one day but… If anyone could challenge your mother and live to tell the tale, it would be those two." Chrom said comfortingly to Eir.

"I… I hope that it comes to pass then. Mother… Im sorry"

* * *

**A/N: I almost forgot to mention this, but I am pleased to announce that as of last month, we've hit the one year anniversary of this story being published. We've also hit the three anniversary since i actually started typing this. I've come a long way since then and I hope it has shown in my writing.****Honestly, I wished I had planned out the earlier chapters much better, but I am just happy knowing that there are people who actually enjoy this fic. I am likely going to put in a easter egg type thing later down the line making a reference from what i originally planning for this fic. Well it's more of like an interesting fact. I won't say what it is yet though.**


	21. Traumerei

"All I am saying is that we might just be wasting our time here. We might be better off going back to the realm of the dead." Anna huffed.

"And all I am saying is that we'd be missing out on a potential lead. Líf knows something and tracking him will get us closer to our goal of slapping Hel out of existence!" I argued.

"Ughh… Alfonse can you get them to stop? I am having the worst migraine right now" Sharena complained.

Al sighed, watching the commander and I argue over what to do next. Both of us turned around to face him, our eyes looked at him expectantly.

"I think that Anna's concerns are reasonable… However, there is one place I want to check before we leave this world."

"And what might that be?" I asked

"I want to check the castle library. I have a feeling that we might find out why everyone in this world died."

"I doubt that we'll find anything new on Hel there but… if we understand what happened here, we can learn from it and avoid a similar fate. I will leave the planning to you this time, Al. Honestly, you're just as good as I am at tactics. It makes me wonder why I'm even the official tactician."

"It's different when you do it. Besides, I prefer to focus on the battle."

"I never thought you would say that, Al. I've always thought you've enjoyed the process of coming up with strategies. I know that you enjoy a good mental challenge."

"You are correct, but there is just something about you… well I when I first met you and watched you give out orders without flinching, I knew you were a natural."

"That's not true, Al. I was terrified! One moment I was a college student preparing for midterm exams, the next I was witnessing Anna chop up an Emblian soldier in half. That was the first time I witnessed the brutality of war first hand."

Alfonse winced. I'm not sure if he ever truly understood what my life was like before I was summoned, but I think at that moment, something clicked in his head.

"You never saw a battlefield before then…" he muttered.

I nodded. "My father was a colonel but I was never really trained for that sort of thing. Back home, you cannot enlist in the army until you're eighteen and then they train you after you get recruited. My father taught me how to use a gun in case I ever needed to defend myself. Incidentally, he also taught me how to do that right hook punch I did on you earlier. I'm still sorry for that by the way"

Alfonse chuckled. "I was very impressed. I had no idea you could do that. I'm not even upset about it now. Your father sounds like a good man."

I frowned. My feelings towards my dad have always been mixed. As a small child, he was my hero and I thought he was the coolest person that ever lived. When I grew up, I was furious at him for never being there for me when I needed him. He was always at war or at work. It's only now that I have begun to understand the choices he made when I was growing up.

"Yeah. Looking back… he was just trying to do his best to give me a good life. Perhaps, if I ever get to go home, even if it's just to visit, I will thank him."

"Then that's one more reason we need to win this. Let's pack up the campsite and head over to The Order of Heroes. If we pack now, we'll be able to reach Fort Gungnir in a day."

"Oh I love that fort! So many good memories." Sharena chimed in.

"Indeed. We spent many hours training with Zacherias in that fort. You practically begged him to teach you how to use a lance." Al grinned wryly.

"Ha! If I didn't know better, I would've thought both of you had a crush on him. I wouldn't blame you though. You were both close to him and he's a good looking man. Er… but not as good looking as Al though." I joked

"Yup! I totally did at one point! He turned me down when I told him. It was a real downer but we all remained friends. How'd ya guess?" Sharena giggled.

"I was only kidding, Sharena. It's just the way you guys talk about him makes him sound like he's saint or something. I suppose though… he did save me. I can kind of see why you like him so much, even if he turned out to be Prince Bruno."

"I'm not going to lie, I thought that Alfonse was in love with Zacherias once. I've written a little black book on it and everything." Anna grinned mischievously.

"That's hardly true. We were never like that!" Al panicked.

"I don't see an issue with it either way. I mean whether or not you've had a crush on him in the past, it doesn't change our relationship with each other. I know that my past relationships won't affect your feelings for me either." I said.

"Th-thank you Kiran. I appreciate it, but I'm not actually…"

"I know, Al. I'm just saying that if you were, it wouldn't change anything."

"R-right… I'll mobilize the rest of the Order to pack up. You stay here and rest for now. Th-that's an order, my dearest." Al then ran off to start packing up.

"Did he just…?" My jaw dropped. It seemed very unlike him to call me by a pet name. He has also never flat out given me orders before. I felt oddly flattered that he would call me "my dearest " but I was also very confused. I decided that I would humor his demands... this time.

"Yeah that was weird… but it's probably for the best if you just go along with it. You still need to recover from Líf's attack, after all. He really did a number on me a while ago. I have a big scar on my chest now, but I am grateful that I made it out alive."

"Yeah. As long as you remain my number one fan and Al keeps on being adorable I'll go along with it. Of course, I will have to talk to him later. It's odd for him to actually order me to do something. I'm worried that we touched a sore spot for him. You know how he gets sometimes"

"Of course. He sometimes gets a little grumpy when we talk about the old days, you know? He didn't take to Zacherias' disappearance very well. Nobody did because until you came along, we all thought that he might have been dead but… it was especially hard on him. Alfonse doesn't take too well to his friends leaving him like that. He's very sensitive about these things. He got very upset when Marth left the Order with no warning. I was sad too but… it was on that day, that he closed himself off to the heroes. He only really opened up again when you set him straight. That's one reason I'm so set on seeing the two of you stay together, I guess."

"I don't plan on leaving him soon. I do want to visit my homeworld one day but… Askr is like a second home to me. Plus… If I leave, I… it's just… Askr is always being attacked or invaded in some form. Someone has got to stick around to ensure it stays safe, right?" I still felt odd saying that.

Like if I finally admit to myself that maybe, just maybe, I really do have the talent that everyone says that I have, then something terrible will happen.

"That's really great to hear! It's a relief to hear that you'll be staying. Everyone needs you in the Order but it's especially true for Alfonse. I really can't say this enough but, he's less of a stick in the mud when you're with him."

"And what about you Sharena?" I asked

"Me? I'm as fabulous as I've ever been. Better than even before, because you became my friend. You support me… I just feel slightly stronger when I'm with you. It's kinda weird but true!"

"Well everything about me is weird at this point. I mean… I was summoned by a gun to a land ruled by rulers who can open up gates to different dimensions, I can size people up just by looking at them, and we are running from a death goddess who currently hates my guts more than anything else in the worlds. Somehow, you getting stronger just by standing next to me doesn't seem like a stretch."

"Haha! When you say it like that it doesn't sound as weird."

"Thanks for keeping me company, by the way. You are really good at picking up when I need someone to talk to."

"Well duh! If you only talk to my brother, then you'll become just as boring as he is. He's such a dweeb"

"I think it's cute and endearing."

"Only you would find it endearing, Kiran."

Eir then walked up to the both of us. "We are almost finished with the preparations. Prince Alfonse has requested that I take you with me. We will be riding on Lyfja's back of course."

"Ah yes, of course. Lyfja seems to have taken a liking to me and I do find flying by pegasus to be quite liberating." I smiled.

"Kiran… can I ask you something?"

Eir wouldn't look me in the eyes, as if she were afraid of what my reaction would be to her query. She appeared to be worried about something.

"Is there something bothering you, Eir?"

"Am I your friend?" She asked quietly.

"The short answer is yes. The long answer is that it's a bit more complicated than that." I answered honestly.

"I don't understand what you are trying to say…"

"I actually find myself enjoying being around you and I want to support you in every way I can. I've seen you come out of your shell little by little and I have counted myself lucky to have witnessed it."

"I… don't deserve your kindness. I want to repay you one day but I-"

"You don't owe me anything, Eir. I am kind because everyone deserves at least some kindness until they prove themselves otherwise. I understand that should the occasion arise, you will turn on us. I also understand that you won't have much choice in the matter." I sighed.

Eir avoided looking at me as if she were ashamed. It appeared as though I had hit the nail right on the head. It troubled me seeing her like this. It was obvious that she didn't want to bend to Hel's will on what was likely going to be an assassination attempt on one or all of us. The only way I can think I can stop is if… I return the favor.

"...I wish that it wasn't true. You and the Order have treated me like a friend but if you know that I was going to betray you then… why?"

"That is because it's not your fault. My request is that if you must absolutely kill me… make it as painless as possible. If I have to die here… I would rather it be by your hand and not hers. I don't want to die but… I know you will be much more merciful than your mother."

Eir actually began to cry. It was surprising to see her like this, considering how she tended to hide her emotions behind a mask of apathy. She was holding the tears back but they still managed to escape. Did she truly not want to kill me then?

"I don't want to… it's unfair… I don't understand why I feel this way…"

I pulled her close to me and gave her a comforting hug. "Just let it all out, Eir. Keeping it all bottled up inside will only hurt more. It's ok for you to feel the way you feel. I can only guess how hard this is for you. I will continue to lend you my support for as long as I am able to"

Eir cried even harder. I held onto her tightly. She's a victim of Hel and I refused to see it any other way. Just as Eir weeps, so too will Askr and the world if we do not defeat Hel. If… by some miracle we do find a way to defeat Hel, it will take time for Eir's emotional wounds to heal. I don't even know if she would ever fully recover. She had suffered several lifetimes worth of abuse, and we are only just starting to unravel it.

Al came back to check on us only to find Eir sobbing into my coat with my arms wrapped around her. He was visibly confused and concerned for us. Bless that man's soul, please.

"Is everything ok?" He asked awkwardly.

"Shhhh… we're having a moment here. We'll catch up with you soon enough, I promise."

"I understand… I'll tell everyone else to move forward then. I only ask that you stay safe."

"I will be fine, Al. I've followed your orders to the letter this time, so it's my turn to give you yours."

"What might that be?"

"Stay safe."

"As you wish" Al said with a slight grin, before leaving us.

"Eir, I have another favor to ask of you."

"I'll do whatever you want"

"Please don't tell Al or anyone about the contingency plan we discussed. I realize that keeping secrets is not a very good thing to do, but I hope… that it won't come to that"

"Death cannot be avoided. It is inevitable and if Mother wants you dead, then it is certain that you will die sooner rather than later. Even so, I… I don't want you to die yet! You are the first person who has treated me nicely… you are the first friend I've ever made."

"It's an honor then. Making your first friend is always a special event. I will do my best to continue to live up to that"

"And I, you. Thank you...Kiran"

* * *

"It appears that almost everything is going to plan" Líf muttered

"This plan wouldn't have been necessary if you had just finished them off last time. Our goals and desires cannot be achieved if you keep letting your sentiments get the better of you" Thrasir scolded.

"Forgive me for my weaknesses… it was much harder than I had initially thought it would." Líf sighed apologetically.

"I will make my attempt when they leave for Fort Gungnir. You should just focus on the trap you've set for them at the castle."

"Yes… that would be for the best. My emotions will only get in the way."

"Just because Kiran coddled you when we were alive, that doesn't mean that you should expect me to be her replacement. I am not your babysitter"

"I wouldn't expect you to. You don't seem like you would have been a good babysitter. Not even back then."

Thrasir scowled at Líf. She of course knew she wasn't great with people and especially children, but it still irked her.

"Perhaps Kiran did spoil me too much. It took me awhile after she died to realize how much I relied on her. I nearly did kill the other Kiran… she tried to talk me out of doing this, but this is the path I chose long ago. I intend to see it through to the end."

"Good. We've come this far already and I refuse to go back. You're not the only who lost someone important. I hope you remember that."

* * *

**A/N:****This chapter was kinda difficult for me to write. I had to scrap half of the chapter because it was starting to get derailed by Kirfonse fluff and Kiran explaining the concept of gremlins to Alfonse. It was upsetting at first, since the fluff was really good imo. Either way I'm glad I got a second opinion and redid it. It came out much better for it. I did save the section into my scrap document so i may either reuse it somewhere else minus the gremlins thing or I will post my scrap doc at the end of the fic as a "bloopers reel" type deal. Idk tbh.****In other news, I convinced my boyfriend to give me 100 bucks so I could summon Líf on Mila's banner... I ended getting all of the focus summons on that banner _except for Líf. _So now I'm salty and my ftp account is no longer ftp. Plus I still don't have any of Al's Alts. End me plz. Jk I actually like living lol.**


	22. Cornered

"Kiran, I am glad the both of you caught up with us." Alfonse beamed

"And I am glad that you are still not dead, which means you are following my orders for you." I said with a wink.

"I think you guys should tone down the flirting just a smidge. It's cute and all, but we are still in Hel you know?" Anna groaned.

"I'll have you know that Kiran instigates most of that…" Al mumbled.

"Oh yeah sure, blame me. It's not my fault that you're so goddamn charming and se- Er...actually yeah you're right. Point taken."

Sharena snickered.

"Either way, we need to keep going. We've got a bit of a ways to go and the enemy could show up any minute now. After everything that's happened lately, we need to be on high alert"

"Knock on wood. I just hope you didn't just jinx us somehow" I sighed.

"What does that even mean?" Anna looked at me with confusion.

"What?"

"Knock on wood." She clarified

"It's just a thing that some people back home do. Supposedly, knocking on wood twice or merely stating your intent to do so is supposed to ward off bad luck. Gramma did it all the time."

"Then perhaps I should try it." Alfonse mused.

"You don't have to do that, Al. It's just a superstition."

"We need all the luck we can get. It couldn't hurt to try. Besides, practising some of the customs you've mentioned over the years helps me understand you better. I hope that one day it will prepare me for the day we finally get to visit your homeworld."

"That's very sweet of you, Al. However, as much as I appreciate the gesture, Anna is right. We should get back to the task at hand. We've become too distracted"

"O-oh... of course. We need to focus on getting ourselves to Fort Gungnir alive. After that we leave for the library. I pray that we will find some of the answers I'm looking for." He looked deflated as if someone had pissed in his bowl of cheerios.

"Hey, please don't look so sad. You know that I'm just trying to look out for you. Once we achieve everything we need to rise victorious against Hel, we'll be free to court each other however we please. We could plan for your coronation, take each out on dates, anything you want I will follow."

"Somehow, just hearing that from you is such a huge relief for me. I don't plan on ascending the throne after we go back home. I dont think I'm up to the task just yet. Mother is still fit to rule so I will leave it to her for a bit."

"While I did promise your father that I will see you become king, he never did specify that it had to be right after the war ends. I will support your decision, assuming that you're not just dumping your responsibilities onto your mother without asking her first."

"Of course I wouldn't do that to her. Not when she would have to deal with the aftermath of Father's death. I plan on assisting her to relieve some of the pressure off of her."

"I fully support your decision. I personally think you're more than ready to rule, but I would not pressure you into doing something you don't feel ready for. We've come this far already, I think I can afford to wait a little longer to fulfill your father's wishes for you."

We continued to chat vigorously about our hopes for the future as we made our journey to the fort. The future is the only thing keeping us going right now. The idea that we'll one day send Hel packing so I can start the next chapter of my life in earnest. Alfonse seemed genuinely happy to talk about the future. Our future.

Unfortunately, that came to a grinding halt when Thrasir showed up right as we were about to reach our destination. It was always one of those two coming in to rain on my parade. I didn't care that they were just trying to revive their world. I was just so tired and exhausted from the journey that I felt emotionally numb about her reappearance.

There was also the issue of me still needing to recuperate from my last encounter with Líf. I was healed but that didn't mean that I was ready for another round of fighting.

"Not again…" I groaned.

"You are persistent but so is death. Sooner or later, all of you will perish."

"Unfortunately for you, it will be the latter. We won't be falling today" I hissed.

"Such empty words, coming from a mortal. It's best that you die here and now!" Thrasir's tome began to float mid-air as she activated it.

"Chrom, Alfonse, I want to you two face her head on. Eir, I want you to wear her down with your daggers. The rest of us will be dealing with any potential stragglers lurking around here. There's no doubt in my mind that she will have troops on standby."

"Simple and to the point. That's actually quite refreshing considering the schemes you've been pulling lately" Ranulf commented.

"Without my 'schemes', we all would've been dead by now. At least… that's what I keep telling myself anyways."

Alfonse nodded. "Short, simple and to the point is the best course of action here. As always, I will trust your judgment on this."

"You guys heard him. Now lets move out!"

Everyone nodded and got into their designated positions fairly quickly. Which was good because unlike Líf who was fettered by the past, Thrasir did not play around.

She went straight for the throat and bombarded me with blasts of her magic. It was only down to dumb luck that I managed to survive the onslaught at all. I definitely didn't come out unscathed either as I had several cuts that dotted my entire body. It was enough to soak my white summoner's cloak with splotches of crimson red all over it.

I called Mercedes over to my side for healing. She patched me up fairly quickly after which, I thanked her profusely. I directed Ranulf at a few enemies that seemed to pop out seemingly from thin air. He seemed to be quite enthusiastic about the fight, so it suited me just fine.

Eir had been throwing pot shots at Thrasir just as planned. Thrasir dodged a few of Eir's daggers using her slight speed advantage she had over Eir.

Chrom and Alfonse attacked Thrasir while she was distracted. Thrasir dodged and shot another spell at them. Everything felt like it was going smoothly. It was almost suspicious.

"Kiran come with me! We need your support!" It was Anna. She must've warped herself to me when I wasn't looking.

"Did something happen?"

"Well we took care of most of the troops but there's a Hero amongst their ranks. She's not too difficult to handle in a straight fight but she's… dedicated to her performance. She's scattering flower petals across the battlefield as we speak" Anna looked like she was very exhausted.

"Er… um and how does that even… actually never mind. Just take me to her and I'll try to sort it out. Perhaps I can try to reason with her and we could form a contract with her."

"We would still have to fight her, Kiran." Anna said dully.

"Do you have any better ideas then, Commander?" I huffed

"I think your plan will work, but it'll need a few adjustments. You try to talk her down and then I will defeat her myself. We'll need to defeat her to dissolve her contact with Hel before we can negotiate a contract with her."

"Ok, fair enough. Alright, take me with you, Anna. Do your warping thingy on me."

"Grab onto Nóatun, Kiran. We haven't got any time left to spare" she offered me part of her weapon's handle.

I grabbed it and suddenly everything looked as though it was melting and fading away. It was enough to make me feel like emptying the contents of my stomach from last night's dried up war rations. I cursed to myself and asked "Why does everything from this world seem to hate my guts?"

When we arrived, everything seemed to shift and bubble back into place. It felt like I was on some sort of drug trip. Honestly, I would've preferred a drug trip to being stuck in the middle of a fight in Hel, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers.

"Da da daaa dum! Great Hero Cynthia here! Prepare to meet my heroic math! Err… I mean wrath!"

I immediately facepalmed. So it was gonna be one of those fights. Before I knew it, I was being drowned in a flurry of sakura blossoms. This was definitely not how I thought I would meet my Maker, but apparently that's how the cookie was going to crumble. No amount of drugs could solve the amount of second hand embarrassment I had felt for the self proclaimed Hero.

"Cynthia, I don't know what Thrasir told you-"

"Líf and Thrasir told me that you are a bunch of murderous bandits that killed a bunch of people in their world! That makes you evil doers!" Cynthia pointed at me. Or more accurately she was pointing at the large pile of flower petals that was engulfing me at the moment.

"And you actually believed that? That's ridiculous!" I screamed as I clawed my way out of the seemingly never ending stream of petals. I briefly wondered if this was basically like the Hanahaki disease you see in fanfictions but in reverse and minus the unrequited love bit.

"Eeeyup! Chaaarrrrrgggge!" Cynthia announced as she charged straight for me.

"Anna do something! I'm kinda struggling to get out of this pile of flowers right now!" I screeched.

"I've got you covered, Kiran!" Anna said managing to deflect Cynthia's lance.

Ranulf tackled Cynthia's pegasus after Anna had successfully prevented Cynthia from turning me into a shish kabob.The result was Cynthia tumbling down off of her pegasus like life sized ragdoll.

Ranulf shifted back into his more human like form and shrugged at us. He was hoping to toy with our opponent for a little bit longer, it seemed. It was odd seeing him like this at times, considering that he was a good dude and all. I mentally filed it away in my mind for the moment.

"Heeeeeyyy! That's not fair! You brought a taguel into the fight, cheater!" Cynthia said as she used her lance to help herself back up. I sighed. It seems that she still wants to fight us.

"What's not fair is that you attacked when we did nothing wrong! We're the ones being attacked and killed! The Kingdom of Askr is suffering because of them!" I said exasperated.

"Nuh-uh! I'm not listening until you can prove it!"

"Why should the burden of proof fall on me when you are the one making the accusations? Where is the evidence for Líf and Thrasir's claims, huh?" I'm at a boiling point but I had to remind myself to stay as calm as possible.

"Huh? This place is Askr right? Lif used to be king here and then one day you killed everyone. The proof is right here in front of us! The dead kingdom!" Cynthia declared

"That doesn't prove anything. That only tells us the current state that this world is in. Think about this critically, Cynthia. How can a small squad such the one I'm commanding ever hope to commit such a large scale decimation of a whole kingdom?"

"Pretty easily, if your squad is as strong as the Shepherds! We took down an entire empire with just a few people. What do you think about that?" Cynthia grinned, still sure that she was right.

Well… actually she was right about the Shepherds. If I recall correctly, the Order of Heroes archives on the World of Awakening did mention the Shepherds defeating Walhart on the continent of Valm. While the Shepherds were larger than our current group… it wasn't a lot.

"Wait a minute! Anna I'm going to need you to bring Chrom here." Anna then nodded and left without a trace.

"Ranulf, I want you to swap places with Chrom!" I ordered.

"I like your plan already, Summoner. I have a feeling that this will get interesting." With that, he shifted into his more cat like form and sped on past me towards the general direction of where Thrasir would be.

"Mercedes, I want you to use your staff on Cynthia! Don't let her get back on her pegasus!" I smirked. Mercedes' gravity staff was perfect for situations like this.

"A-Alright, Kiran I trust you."

"Oohhhhh ohhh! What about me, Sis?"

I could feel myself blush as Sharena referred to herself as my sister. I don't know why, but it made me feel happy. I suppose… even if by some cruel twist of fate, Al and I don't end up marrying each other, she would still be like the little sister that I never had. I… I could get used to this feeling.

"You get to be my personal bodyguard. The only other person who gets this honor is Al so…" I smirked at her mischievously.

"Yes! I'll be better at it than he is!"

"Just don't let your brother hear that."

"Alfonse will learn to deal with it. It's not as if I'm going to steal you away from him or anything. He'll have plenty of opportunities to play bodyguard anyway." She smirked.

"In any case, I know I can count on you"

Sharena gave me a thumbs up. She seemed very proud of herself and I couldn't help but feel the same way. Mercedes pulled out her staff and used it against Cynthia, who was regaining her strength. With the gravity staff, she would have a hard time standing let alone get back up on her pegasus. Her loyal steed was still nursing the wounds it had previously received from Ranulf.

"Hey no fair!" Cynthia protested.

"I'm sorry. This is war unfortunately. There's no doubt in my mind that you really are a good person and a great hero, but I value my life and the lives of my friends. To protect what is dear to me, I will do anything I can to protect them. That includes restraining those who threaten us. It's nothing personal, I hope you understand. We… just want to free you of the contract that Líf and Thrasir forged with you."

"Kiran… Aren't we supposed to be more diplomatic than this?" Sharena questioned.

"I know. It's just… I don't have a lot of options here at the moment. It's... complicated. I cannot falter in my purpose here. There's too much at stake for me to take chances. I just wish it doesn't have to be this way. Chrom… please hurry!" I whispered the last sentence to myself.

Chrom arrived promptly afterwards. I thanked the divine dragon Askr for Chrom's swift arrival. I wasn't especially fond of the dragon god, but he was the kingdom's patron deity, so it felt appropriate.

"Kiran, Anna said you needed my help. What's going on?"

"This Hero says she's one of the Shepherds. I was hoping you could help diffuse this… interesting situation I'm finding myself in. Do you recognize her?"

Chrom nodded "She is my daughter."

It took me a while to process the information since the other Chrom was married to female Robin. Summoning heroes from different timelines can easily become confusing very quickly.

"Oh. I see… um… I suppose I will release her now. It would be cruel for me to keep her restrained for much longer. Mercedes, you can stop now." I sighed

Cynthia got up back on her feet, using her lance to help regain balance and to put her weight on it. The crash really took a toll on her.

"Daddy? Is that really you?"

"Take it easy, Cynthia. That was quite the fight you must've been through. Your mom would be proud."

"Am I still your Pega Pony Princess?" She asked softly.

"Er… Yes, of course you are." Chrom said awkwardly.

I snorted in an attempt to stifle my laughter. I couldn't help it. I kept on imagining an older Chrom calling her by that nickname. It was kinda cute if you put it in the context of Chrom taking care of a five year old Cynthia, but it just didn't seem like something Chrom would do. I guess having kids really does change you after a while.

"What's so funny? We're still in the middle of a battle you know!" Chrom was practically lecturing me in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"Right. I suppose we should make this quick. Cynthia, if you are willing, I would like to extend an invitation for you to join the Order of Heroes. We are currently fighting for Askr's past, present and future. We are fighting Death herself and I-"

"Done!" Cynthia took my hand and shook it.

"Huh? Are you sure? You were so certain earlier that we were bandits that I thought it would've taken bit longer for you to agree to help us"

"Yep! You have my dad and that's all the proof I need! Daddy would never side with a group of bandits! You can count on me!"

I felt the strange yet familiar feeling of a warm buzzing sensation surrounding me. The contract had been made.

"Welcome to the Order of Heroes, Princess Cynthia."

"Yup! I'm sorry about what happened earlier…"

"It's no problem for me, really. I might not be much in a fight, but I would like to believe that I am tough enough to survive anything you can dish out." I said with an air of confidence.

"Should we go and provide support to the others now? They are still fighting Thrasir aren't they?" Mercedes asked.

"I was getting to that, but you're right as always Mercedes." I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Kiran. You're very sweet. It was no trouble at all." Mercedes blushed, enjoying the praise I was showering on her.

"Well you guys know what to do next, right? Let's all give her a taste of our full strength!" I rallied out to all of the Heroes standing before me.

I rushed over to Al's side, quick as the wind. Even he was surprised at my speedy arrival. I just couldn't help but worry about him even if he is more than capable of fighting Thrasir. I ordered Mercedes to heal any injuries that needed to be treated. While none of them were badly wounded, it was best that we took care of them anyway.

Thrasir did not look pleased to see me in particular. Her eyes studied me as if she was analyzing my every move.

"Why are you here, Summoner?"

"What is that supposed to even mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering how Líf can't even manage to kill you. You're so weak, it's pitiful."

"Lalalalala! I'm not listening!" I responded childishly. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with this crap.

"So you don't even deny it. You should've stayed in that castle you know. You don't do any of the fighting. Look at you holding a knife. Very intimidating. I am sure you'll be able defend your darling prince with that. I'm sure that you trained so hard" Thrasir insulted me once more as she prepared to sling a spell at me.

"Chrom, I need you to flank Thrasir. Ranulf you attack from the left!" I shouted out, trying to keep myself busy. I knew what she was trying to do and I wasn't stupid enough to fall for it.

"You say you will protect Prince Alfonse but how can you when you can't even use that knife properly? Face it Summoner, the only you're good at is making him do everything for you. Must be nice to have a prince wait on you hand and foot everyday"

No… that's not true… Al protects me because he wants to. I… no… I can't let her get the better of me. So what if I am weak? I'm still the tactician here. I must keep a clear focus.

"Kiran, please stay focused! Don't let her get to you" Alfonse said protectively.

"I won't. She's only trying to hit the low hanging fruit anyway so who cares? She can say all she wants about me." I said while grinding my teeth

Thrasir smirked as she shot a spell at me. Alfonse immediately went in to deflect it with his shield. He has saved me countless times while I…

"This is exactly what I am talking about. The prince is a guard dog protecting his owner. Like an attention starved puppy." She continued to taunt me.

"That's enough!" Those two words slipped through my mouth before I had time to think.

"Kiran, don't pay attention to what she is saying. She can say anything she wants but we've got to focus!"

"To hell with that!" I screamed.

The rational side of me agreed with Alfonse. The rational side of me tried to stop myself from falling for Thrasir's obvious trap. The rest of me wanted to bust a cap in Thrasir's glowing red ass. Too bad I didn't have my glock with me.

"Kiran don't do this!"

Unfortunately for Alfonse, I was already seeing red and rage made everything go in one ear and out the other. That wench just basically called my prince a bitch! How dare she insult him like that?

Before I knew it my mind went absolutely blank and my body just launched itself at her. I really am an idiot for letting this get to me. Alfonse tried to hold me back but out of sheer stubbornness and willpower, I managed to break out of the firm hold he had on me.

"You can insult me all you want because I dont give a flying fuck! I already know I'm useless in fight, but dont you dare bring Alfonse into this you fucking worthless piece of trash!" I yelled at her.

"I can and I will do just that, dear Summoner. You can play being 'The Great Hero' all you want, but in the end all you can do is hide behind the prince. He hasn't even denied that he likes being the knight in shining armor for the useless damsel in distress."

"Princess Eir, can you remove Kiran from the situation? She's going to get herself hurt if we don't do something" Al panicked.

"Screw that noise!" I said as I threw my dagger at the offending sorceress.

She simply stepped to the side and my dagger missed its intended target. Eir's pegasus descended close where I was standing. I was too busy frothing at the mouth to notice Eir approaching me and grabbing by the arms. Eir was silent as death. Actually she was more silent than death. Hel and her loudmouthed brat for a general both seemed to like the sounds of their voices.

"Kiran, it's time to go! You need to get to safety!" Eir pleaded. Were I in my right mind at that moment, that sad look on her face would've made me comply. However, I was blinded by hatred and frustration.

"No. I won't wait around in the back with Mercedes. My place is here supporting the Heros and giving out orders. I can't just-"

"You need to let go, Kiran. You're not thinking clearly. Please let me take you to safety!" Eir cried.

"I can't! That wench needs to be wiped out from existence. I can't do that from the sidelines!" I snapped.

Thrasir slung another spell at me. I wasn't going to be able to move on time. I braced myself for impact but it never came. Eir shielded and took the brunt of the hit.

"Gods damn it all! Eir! Are you alright?"

"I-I'm alive, but I'm no longer in shape to continue fighting," Eir breathed heavily.

"Damn it all! I really am a fucking idiot! Mercedes! We need healing STAT!"

Mercedes rushed over as quickly as she could and worked her healing magic on Eir's wounds. I eyed Lyfjaberg for a brief moment. Would I be able to use them for myself? My own dagger was still on the ground over by where Thrasir was and it would be too dangerous for me to try to take it back without help.

"If you must fight, then you should have someone with you. Take these. I wish to be of use to you." Eir said weakly.

I took both of her daggers and quickly hugged her before I faced the battlefield once more.

"Cynthia! I could use a hand here! We're about to do something that's either super heroic or something completely foolish. That's if you'll allow me to hitch a ride on your pegasus, of course"

"Awesome! I can see why you are the leader here, Kiran."

"That's not… you know what? Nevermind. I am the tactician of this army, so it would only be natural that I help command the Heroes."

"Stop being so silly Kiran. Come on! Get on my pegasus. Andromeda wont hurt you one bit" Cynthia said cheerfully referring to her pegasus.

Without hesitation, I hopped onto Andromeda's back. With Lyfjaberg in both my hands I stared Thrasir down, deaf to Alfonse's desperate cries for me to retreat. I couldn't do as I was told. My body still felt like it was on autopilot. I could still feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, clouding my mind and my judgment.

There were only three things I knew were certain. First off, I was still ready to cut a bitch. Two, I was being stupid for playing into this trap in the first place. Three… Alfonse wasn't going to let me on the battlefield anymore after this.

I told Cynthia exactly what I had in mind for this assault on Thrasir. She grinned at me and told me that it was an entrance befitting of the most daring of Heroes and that she was totally all in on this. We ascended high into the air. Once we ascended high enough we dove downwards straight towards Thrasir. I threw one of the daggers that I had borrowed straight at her. When she dodged I had Cynthia pin her down with her lance. I then jumped off Andromeda and landed right on top of Thrasir. I think I may have heard a few of my bones crack on impact, but I barely felt a thing. All that mattered in that moment was that I had a dagger renting against Thrasir's throat.

"Of course. Interesting maneuver." Thrasir muttered.

"I might be useless… but I'll be damned if you speak of _my_ Alfonse like that again, mark my fucking words."

"I will give you this, just this once. That mind of yours is your only redeeming quality. Goodbye for now, Summoner" Thrasir used a warp spell and disappeared from under me.

I fell over due to the lack of Thrasir's body being under me. I screamed like a banshee as the pain had finally settled in. It definitely wasn't my proudest moment and I was sure everyone thought I was deranged and unhinged. I definitely didn't feel anything like myself then. Several people rushed over to my side, asking me if I was ok. I knew that I wasn't ok and it was obvious to everyone around me. I smiled at them weakly before collapsing onto ground and blacking out.

* * *

**A/N:****Sorry for not getting this out sooner. I had a tough time writing this one since FEH doesn't really expand on Thrasir's character very much and writing fight scenes are still not my strong suit. With that said I think I'm improving.****I will likely be updating The Modern Shorts soonish, so do look forward to that.****Also, I have another announcement. I now have an Ao3 account under the same pen name I'm using here. I haven't uploaded anything but I do have some specific plans for it in mind. I'll be cross posting a new fic on here and Ao3. Plot bunnies happened and this fic just so happened to be a good place to start. Ao3 will probably also be the place where i put a separate companion piece to this fic. However, there _is_ a reason that it will be on Ao3 and not here. It will contain... more explicit material. Luckily for anyone disinterested in reading _that _sort of thing won't need to read it to understand what will be happening here. It definitely be canon but it'll separate from this one. I'm not fully committed to it yet and I am not at the point in this fic where it happens so it'll be a while before I even start writing _that. _****Anyway thanks for sticking with me this far. I never imagined that I would get any attention from this at all, but I am glad I stuck to it for this long. More importantly, I will see this through to the end.****P.S if you watch Mangs on YouTube you might find a fire emblem meme that I have hidden near the end. If you find it, you get an internet cookie.**


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